


Another Way

by lady_oneder



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes & Tony Stark Friendship, Canon Rewrite, Civil War Team Iron Man, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Hurt Tony Stark, Intern Peter Parker, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Steve Friendly, Not Wanda friendly at first, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Slow Burn, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, seriously i mess up the timeline, why isn't that tag common yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2020-07-20 13:43:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 85,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19993180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lady_oneder/pseuds/lady_oneder
Summary: Everyone assumed things started to fall apart during their Civil War, but Tony could tell dynamics were off way before then. It started after Ultron. Tony was trying to hold onto the pieces just as much as everyone else, but maybe the team didn't want to as much as they thought they did. Tony just hoped that Steve and everyone else would get over Ultron.Then Tony found out about a certain Winter Soldier and December of 1991. Tony wasn't irrational. He'd give Steve a chance to confess, but there were a lot more things wrong with their team than secrets. It was time for Tony to realize that.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's another salty civil war fic three years after the fact. Please, heed the tags unless you really have nothing better to do than read fics that weren't meant for you.  
> Endgame is IronStrange, but it's a slow one, so strap in.  
> This takes place after Age of Ultron, and it's very important that you know going into this that the timeslines are slighlty off of the MCU's establsihed one that also makes no sense. For example, Doctor Strange takes place much sooner.

In all honesty, Tony had started noticing the changes even before Ultron. It started with the fact that Steve had never really trusted him. Everyone pretended things were alright after the Battle of New York debacle, but their relationship had always been built on disappointed looks and aggravated sighs. Tony said things sometimes just to aggravate him because Steve was so easy to get to.

Tony would never reach Steve’s standards. These standards were set by his father, Howard Stark, first. Finding out Tony existed was finding a loose thread in a new sweater that Steve could pull on. He knew Howard, so he thought he would know Tony. That fell through quickly when Steve was provided information and met him for the first time. Steve was still getting used to the 21st century, and Tony was practically the master of it. Tony was too much at one time, and Steve had subconsciously never forgiven him for it.

Trust worked two ways though. Tony was frustrated with Steve for the same reason: Howard. His father had painted this picture-perfect view of Captain America that haunted Tony all his life. It wasn’t fair, but Tony hated the man before he’d even met him. Then, Steve claimed to know so much about Tony without even a decent conversation, and Tony hated that more than anything. There was a short list of people that Tony trusted, and it was those people who knew him true and fair. Steve had never been on this list. Yet, there he was, fresh into the 21st century, claiming to know how people like Tony were like he knew the back of his hand.

To make matters worse, Steve contributed to Tony’s PTSD. Tony had nightmares after New York. They affected him so much that they affected his relationship with Pepper, that and other things. Over and over again, Tony would see himself going through the wormhole only for it to close behind him, leaving him stranded in space. Tony would wake up, reminding himself that he was on Earth, but that didn’t stop him from thinking about the fact that he had _almost_ ended up like that. A few seconds more, and Tony would’ve been left in space because of the brief decision making of their _Captain_. They had never really talked about it, but Tony remembered it with almost every nightmare.

Tony had trust issues with Natasha from the start. After posing as his PA, Tony had a hard time believing she was doing anything for anyone’s benefit except her own. That wasn’t always fair to think, but that was how Tony felt. She was very manipulative, and Tony couldn’t find himself comfortable with that. He had a whole history of people manipulating him, so excuse him for wanting to keep those kinds of relationships out of his life. Then, she and Steve neglected to inform him of what was going on with HYDRA and SHIELD. Sure, their excuse was that they couldn’t trust anyone, but that exclusively translated: they couldn’t trust him.

Clint and Tony had never gotten close. Tony hadn’t really known him before the New York battle, and he had only just come out of being mind controlled. Anything he knew about Tony that wasn’t from experience was from Natasha. Natasha was very good about telling certain parts of information and not others while coming off as a neutral party. She always had an ulterior motive, even if she didn’t know it. The sad thing was Tony and Clint actually got a long pretty well before Ultron. They both had the same sardonic sense of humor and agreed on things practically.

Everything changed after Ultron. It started with Steve returning to his holier-than-thou attitude, constantly remind Tony in the subtlest ways on how he had fucked up and created Ultron. Tony got tired of telling him it wasn’t that simple. Steve acted like Tony couldn’t be trusted alone anymore, like he was a child. He acted like Tony had some secret plan to _destroy the entire planet_ , the one he actually lived on. Whether or not the others agreed with Tony on how ridiculous Steve’s logic was, they would never speak up because of how annoyed they were at Tony.

Tony could get over all of that. He could admit that he fucked up messing with stuff that he shouldn’t have—even if his mind had been invaded—but that was exactly the problem: the witch. After everything was all said and done, Tony had been expecting the see the witch and her brother in custody. Imagine his surprise to find out Pietro Maximoff had died, and Steve and Clint were consoling Wanda.

“She lost her brother, Tony,” Steve chastised like Tony had no empathy.

“Yeah, and she also had a hand in why. She helped him!” Tony argued.

“So did you!” Tony scoffed and rolled his eyes, tired of the same argument.

“You know I didn’t! Stop trying to use me as a scapegoat for everything that went wrong.”

“You created Ultron,” Steve argued just as strongly.

“Wrong. I created a program that I conveniently named Ultron, which was still dormant when _Bruce_ and I left it. It killed JARVIS and was aided by the twins.”

“None of that changes the fact that you created him,” Steve responded conclusively. All Tony could do was stare at him. It was like he was talking to a completely different man.

“Did you not listen to a single thing I just said?” Tony sputtered angrily. “Don’t tell me she got in your head too!”

“It’s about time you stop trying to villainize her.

“Villainize? She is a villain! Why are you purposefully forgetting that she worked with HYDRA and aided Ultron in destroying us?”

“So we just aren’t supposed to give out second chances now?” Steve asked with a sarcastic chuckle. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Steve looked taken back.

“Well, first there’s the fact that you sold weapons—”

“For my country?” Tony exclaimed in a confused tone. Didn’t this guy literally have the name _America_? “The same one you so willingly served.” Steve ignored him.

“Now you’re expecting us to move on from Ultron, because you deserve a second chance, right?”

“I don’t need second chances, even if I was to blame,” Tony snorted. “Who the hell are you guys without the Avengers?”

“Being an Avenger isn’t about the title—”

“I was Tony Stark before any of this, and I’ll be Tony Stark after. I created Iron Man before the Avengers, and I will continue to be him. I own an innovative technology company, creating technology years before its time. I created the Maria Stark Foundation and constantly donate to other charities. I don’t think you realize, Steve, that I don’t need a second chance because I dug myself out of the dirt.”

“Your ego is showing.” Their conversation ended like that.

* * *

They went to pretending like the conversation never happened. Wanda hated him, everyone knew that, but no one said anything about it. Everyone besides Clint decided to make themselves home at the new Avengers Compound when Tony casually offered everyone a room, still in his old habits. By default, that included Wanda since Tony couldn’t exactly dispute against her since she was officially made an Avenger against his favor.

What more, Tony fell for the guilt Steve constantly pushed on him. Since Bruce was off who knows where, Tony was the only one who had to deal with the aftermath with Ultron since the other Avengers refused to recognize it as their problem, like always. Tony was paying for their stuff, letting them stay in the compound for free.

Slowly, Tony tried to separate himself from them. A while ago, he started making early plans with Pepper to sell the Avengers tower. That was before their break, which was turning out to be less of a break and more of a break-up. Now, Tony was trying to reestablish it as the Stark Tower once again, keeping his original living quarters in the penthouse.

“You’re not moving here?” Steve asked one day as he was settling into his room, Natasha, Wanda, and Vision doing the same. Sam Wilson was apparently moving in as well, having been inducted into Avengers due to Steve’s recommendation as well. Tony had no real qualms with Sam, but the man clearly followed Steve more than any of the rest of them.

“No,” Tony answered. “I’m staying at my tower.”

“Your tower?” Steve repeated.

“Yes, the Stark tower.” Steve scoffed.

“Really, Tony. The ‘Stark Tower?’” Tony looked up from the tablet he was using to frown at Steve.

“Yes, the Stark Tower, reestablished home of Stark Industries…”

“What happened to the Avengers Tower?”

“It became the ‘Avengers Compound,’” Tony answered with a snort, focusing on his tablet again.

“Why are you staying there?”

“Difficult decision it is, considering I’m both the owner of Stark Industries and an Avenger,” Tony drawled dramatically. “But one does take more of time out of my daily life, so one building is more convenient than the other.”

“This is about Wanda, isn’t it?”

“This is about—what?” Tony looked completely baffled. “Did you just ignore my entire explanation?”

“I thought we were over this.”

“Over what? Everyone completing ignoring my wishes to induct Wanda after she fucked with everyone’s minds?”

“She was wrongly guided. She’s working towards redemption Tony.”

“That’s fine, but I don’t see why we have to put her on a pedestal and give her an award for it.”

“Why is it okay for you to come out victorious after your mistakes but not for anybody else.” Tony shut off his tablet and stood up, giving Steve a blank stare.

“This is why I’m not staying in the Avengers compound, Rogers.”

* * *

Eventually, Tony talked to Pepper about their relationship. They both decided it was time to move on, no more breaks. Pepper moved out of the Stark Tower, and Tony was left alone. He visited the compound sometimes if just to see Vision, but Vision had become acclimated to the Avengers even easier than Tony had.

There weren’t a lot of full Avenger necessary events after Ultron, but Tony ended up funding the missions Steve went on a lot despite his better judgment. Tony knew the man had some sort of complex where he felt that he needed to shut down HYDRA for good single-handedly. Tony thought that it would keep him occupied, so he funded them.

He was fine with that for a while. He was distracting himself with Stark Industries stuff and, eventually, B.A.R.F. The idea had come from the seemingly random surge of visions he seemed to get post-Ultron. He kept recalling the Battle of New York and the vision of everyone dying. Tony thought he could fix that with his touch on technology. How he ended up changing the memory of the night of his parents’ death, he didn’t know. It just came to him, and now he couldn’t stop obsessing over it.

Along with that, Tony tried to involve himself and Stark Industries in funding organizations and events that encouraged the youth’s involvement in science and innovative thinking. That would be why he would eventually end up showing B.A.R.F. at MIT and funding all of their projects. That would also be why he would bring up the idea of giving out internships for the R&D department at Stark Industries in the Stark Tower.

“Internships,” Pepper deadpanned. Tony nodded, sitting across from her in her office. “You want to give out student internships.”

“Yes, that’s what I said,” Tony confirmed casually. Pepper gave him a blank stare. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“What’s the point of this?”

“What the point?” Tony repeated. “There are kids out there interested in this stuff, and we’re the leading company. I’m not saying we give them access to the arc reactor. I just thought it would be a good idea. PR will love it.”

“I get that. I just don’t understand why you specifically are interested in it.”

“Why can’t you just believe I want to do something good and progressive?”

“Because the last time you did that you were dying!” Pepper exasperated. Tony cringed, shrinking in on himself. “I’m not trying to come off as an asshole, Tony, but you have a history of not telling me things. I can’t keep letting you slide things past me with some ulterior motive which ends up with you getting hurt _again_.”

“Pepper,” Tony whined. “There is no ulterior motive. It’s practically your company now. I just thought it’d be a good idea.” Pepper held her hands up in defeat.

“Tony, of course I’ll do it. It’s still your company. I just want to know if you’re dying or something,” she explained with a fond glare. “I’ll get started on it and send out recruiters. Anywhere in particular?”

“Uh, MIT, of course,” Tony started off. “Offer full scholarships and some summer residential programs. Otherwise, I don’t care where you get the kids from. Just make sure they can handle it.”

“Will that be all, Mr. Stark?” Pepper teased him as he stood up to leave. Tony smiled at her, glad they retained their friendship despite their break-up being not too long ago.

“That will be all, Miss Potts.”

Tony watched the news a lot, probably more than he should. He constantly had FRIDAY, as new and sweet as she was, looking out for anything related to the Avengers, any of the individual Avengers, and Sovokia. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of that content. He tried not to let the plentiful comments about Ultron get to his head, especially since he wasn’t too sure how the general public found out about the program in the first place.

The Avengers in general weren’t too popular right now. Any big battles they did left behind a trail of destruction that Tony was left to clean up. Though he did his best, that didn’t stop people from being angry it was ever created in the first place. What Steve and the others didn’t understand was lives could be destroyed in ways outside of robots attacking the city. The loss of property and real estate was catastrophic to many. Tony did his best to help people get people back on their feet, but the problem was still widespread.

Tony created a secret twitter account. It was probably the silliest thing he’d ever done, sitting alone in the penthouse scrolling through his feed and tweets tagged with his name. Many comments were critical, but he was also surprised by the plentiful number of images that circulated with him in the streets. Tony barely tried to disguise himself if he went out on the streets, but he still hadn’t been expecting all the images that people enthusiastically took of him strolling out of a donut shop or into a convenience store. He should probably do a better job of that in the future.

It was Twitter where Tony would find the random places Steve and sometimes the others would end up. Steve wasn’t really good at staying low. He was always determined to get the job done. That’s why Tony wasn’t exactly surprised when another photo would trend on Twitter with him outside the United States.

The problem with that was Tony always found out that he and the others left the country too late. They were already pissed at Steve before Tony could get in contact with anybody to get the proper clearance. By the time Tony got everything settled down, Steve and crew were already off terrorizing some other country. They didn’t even realize what Tony was doing for them as they went around wreaking havoc. Tony felt like that parent who wanted to explain to their kid how they had to worry about things like bills, but that wasn’t something you should concern kids about.

Tony began to constantly work on bettering the general image of the Avengers alongside his work at SI. After all, they would be necessary in the future. However, it was difficult, especially when someone asked if they should really trust Wanda or whether Steve was still fit to lead. Was he doing the public a service by lying to them?

Steve wasn’t really doing anything to better his own image, holding onto the Captain America nostalgia that old-timers still felt these days. He let Tony take the all the bad coverage so he could continue to “get things done” as he put it.

Eventually, Tony wondered what exactly the things were getting done. All the jobs Steve went on for HYDRA seemed sloppy and underprepared despite how often Steve to go on them. The operations were shut down, but it seemed more like an afterthought than Steve’s initial purpose. Tony wondered if Steve was trying to find the secret to end all the operations. If that was the case, why didn’t he just ask for Tony’s help. Tony didn’t need to wait for Steve to ask for his help.

Steve did leave a nice trail behind. This trail was a pattern, and Tony could eventually tell how Steve was finding these basis, maybe even before Steve could tell. Tony took a guess at the next secret base he’d take a crack at and search for what could possibly be there, but he saw nothing of interest. He wasn’t surprised when Steve came back from that mission looking a bit irritated. This only confirmed to Tony that Steve _was_ looking for something.

It didn’t take long for Tony to find about the Winter Soldier program. It was a big deal, no matter how hard they tried to hide it. The problem was, Tony didn’t exactly know what it was. He only knew that it existed, and it contained a fairly huge weapon. That was until Tony stumbled upon a video.

He sat alone in the dark, watching the video of his parents’ deaths over and over. The first few times were because he couldn’t believe it. The next few times were because he was trying to figure out what exactly Howard was saying. The final few times were to take in every detail of the grainy footage.

It didn’t take Tony long to figure how who Sergeant Barnes was, not at all. In fact, it was stored in his long-term memory, though he chose to ask FRIDAY for help anyways. Tony was putting the pieces together when an old photo of James Buchanan Barnes appeared on the screen, confirming Tony’s suspicions.

He was angry. He was horrified. His parents’ deaths had haunted him all his life, mostly because he could never come to closure about the whole situation. It was what inevitably led to his drinking and drug years. Every time Tony was reminded about his past life, he was reminded about how he got there in the first place. He was reminded about how pissed he was that Howard had gotten his mother killed.

For a few moments, he thought he might relapse, after years of being clean. He thought, _fuck it_. _What was life good for right now anyway?_ Ultron was a disaster, everyone seemed to hate him, and he’d been lied to his entire life. Then, a thought struck him. Steve and Natasha had an incident not even a year ago dealing with HYDRA, where they claimed they couldn’t _trust_ Tony to help. More than that, they got into multiple fights. They skimped on the details of those. Tony was his with a cold dread and a wave of nausea when something occurred to him, _Steve fucking knew_.

Barnes may have been brainwashed, but he was also Steve Rogers’ best friend. All those missions that Tony supplied and paid for, all the asses he had to kiss to make sure they didn’t condemn Rogers was for his parents’ murderer.

All the anger that was aimed at HYDRA and the Winter Soldier immediately fell onto Rogers. Was he ever going to tell Tony? The man thought he had the right to be pissed at Tony about Ultron and keeping secrets when he’s hiding a HYDRA super weapon from him and the rest of the world. Was he going to use Ultron as an excuse as to why he wasn’t going to tell Tony?

Barnes was out there. He had to be out there. If Tony had to guess, he was hiding from HYDRA and Steve alike. This meant he still had the triggers. If the wrong person were to find Barnes before he did, some serious shit could go down. Yet, Steve had the nerve to keep this from everyone. Well, two could play that game.

“FRI,” Tony called out softly.

“Yes, Boss?”

“Start your advanced search for James Buchanan Barnes all over the globe. This is a secret project, so no override codes.”

“Right away, Boss,” FRIDAY responded pleasantly. “Should I make this a priority?”

“Yes.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone's who's gave me proof of their interest!  
> To be honest, these chapter will get slightly longer and more dialogue heavy further on.  
> Just to reiterate, the timelines are off. I don't know exactly when Doctor Strange originally took place in 2016, but it's definitely earlier here!

The next time Steve invited Tony to the compound, he tried to be prepared. The search for Barnes had been going on for a few days. Unsurprisingly, it was taking quite a while. About seventy years of being a brainwashed robot would probably turn you into a pretty stealthy man. Tony was relentless though. He put the finishing touches on B.A.R.F. not too long ago. It was then that Tony realized that this new technology may be the key to getting rid of Barnes triggers. Tony wondered if Steve would tell him the truth if he knew what B.A.R.F. could do.

Tony wondered if there was anything he could do to get Steve trust him again, and he hated himself for it. Steve had been the one to wrong him, not the other way around. Yet, Tony still felt like a little kid, wanting to be in the good graces of the infamous Captain America, the icon that had been stressed upon him with great importance since he could walk.

It turned out that Steve didn’t want to trust Tony, but he wanted to control him. But something inside of Tony still wanted to give him more chances. It must have been over a year since Steve found out and kept it secret. That was still a long time to forgive.

Tony walked into the compound like he owned the place, because he did. It wasn’t a secret that there was a bit of spite at the fact that Tony chose to live in the Tower rather than the compound, like he was a fucking boarding-school boy. Apparently, Wanda and Vision made a dish for everyone to try since Vision was trying to acclimate this way. A dinner would encourage him a bit. Tony practically made Vision, or at least he absorbed the soul that Tony _did_ create. It would come off very wrong if he decided to skip out on this one.

Wanda gave him an uneasy look that was a step down from a glare, so Tony felt like she improved just a bit. Or that meant that she didn’t want to get caught purposefully looking aggressive towards Tony. Maybe Steve had talked to her about it. He had taken on a fatherly role which was disturbing, considering she hated Tony to the point where she was willing to kill him with the flick of her wrist.

Tony was able to introduce himself properly to Sam Wilson. He reminded Tony of Rhodey when he first met him, all uptight and reminding everyone that he was in the Air Force. Though, that was technically in Wilson’s past. He seemed like a relatively laid-back guy, making Tony question why he ran around with Captain tight ass.

Vision greeted Tony in his usual monotonous voice. It was still so fresh for Tony, and he could hear JARVIS in each of Vision’s words. He tried not to let it show how much it pained him, especially since Vision couldn’t be blamed for his existence. Then again, Tony did aid in making him. He didn’t want to admit that he felt slightly betrayed by the fact that Vision chose to stay at the compound instead of with Tony, but there were more people here. Though, Tony was pretty sure he just wanted to be near Wanda, which was even more disturbing than the fatherly Steve thing.

Natasha gracefully greeted him like she always did. And, like usual, Tony felt on edge, trying to figure out what she was analyzing about him today. She insisted he sit next to her by dinner, like old friends. Tony wanted to ask her if she meant old like Battle of New York old or old like that time she pretended to be his PA and then randomly injected him in a donut shop old.

Steve greeted him like a Boss glad that an employee was finally showing up to work on time. Tony didn’t say anything about it.

Vision served a simple spaghetti dish. It was alright. Everyone had to start somewhere. If Tony was being honest, he couldn’t remember the last time he ate anyway. He practically scarfed down the pasta and garlic bread accompanying it.

“Is it up to your usual standards, Stark?” Wanda teased maliciously. Tony was used to sarcastic banter. He was the master of sarcastic banter, but he could pick out when people were clearly trying to rile him up like Wanda was. Had this same sentence come from Pepper, he’d joke back that he’d give her four stars and give her a week to change his mind. But this was the same girl who wanted to kill him not to long ago.

“I think the last meal I had was a cup of instant noodles about 20 hours ago, so yeah,” Tony answered dully. Wanda stared down at her plate with pursed lips.

“Is that healthy?” Steve asked, knowing damn well Tony had bad habits.

“No, but I was busy,” Tony mumbled, hoping his disinterest in the topic would steer it away.

“We’re all busy, Tony. We still find times to eat,” Steve scolded like he was another one of his adopted children.

“Great. I’ll send you my calorie-intake chart next time,” Tony drawled. Steve sighed.

“I don’t know why you bring up your bad habits if you don’t want to talk about them.”

“I brought it up as a joke since Queen of Hearts over here decided to joke that I have some sort of supercilious standard when it comes to pasta. Well, maybe I do. I’m half-Italian, you know.”

“Tony—”

“Mom made her pasta homemade. Even Jarvis couldn’t make it as well as she did.” Everyone seemed to flinch at the name Jarvis, not really knowing that he was talking about his butler and not his AI.

“Tony—”

“Though, to be fair, I’m not sure spaghetti is actually Italian.” Tony finished. He stressed the part about his mom quite a bit, hoping it would hit some heartstrings in Steve’s dark, dark soul. The man didn’t even flinch. Steve just gave him an annoyed look, like he used to do when he thought Tony was showing off his technology instead of trying to explain to Steve what it was he did to make it work.

“How’s Pepper doing?” Natasha spoke up. Her face was unreadable, as usual, but that didn’t stop Tony from thinking she knew something. He decided to keep things purposefully vague because of it.

“Great, actually,” Tony answered breezily, giving a her a toothy smile.

“Really? Why didn’t she come?”

“You didn’t invite her,” Tony shrugged off.

“That doesn’t mean that you couldn’t bring her.”

“Maybe, if you want somebody at your fancy dinner party, you should invite them next time,” Tony suggested. Natasha gave him a deadpan expression.

“Would it really be so hard to just bring her along with you?’

“I don’t know, would it really be so hard to just shoot her an email when you invite me to these things. She is the CEO of a company.”

“The dinners are later,” Steve pointed out haughtily. “She can’t still be working.”

“She can, and she might not even be in the country.”

“So you’re saying she’s not in America?” Natasha asked, a judging eyebrow raised.

“No, she is. Probably doing paperwork in bed.”

“Oh. Then maybe we should let you get back to her,” Natasha teased. The smile on her face was all Tony needed to confirm that she knew. She knew they weren’t together anymore. It was also all he needed to remember why Natasha annoyed him so much sometimes. Tony didn’t really think his break-up with Pepper was as devastating as it sounded, especially since she was still one of his best friends. The problem was, Natasha tried to verbally get him stuck in a corner. Tony wouldn’t have had a problem with admitting it had she isolated him before dinner, but she was purposefully trying to get him to admit in front of everyone what she already knew. Tony gave her a tight smile.

“Yeah, actually,” Tony answered. “I should. It’s getting late.”

* * *

Despite Tony’s expertise with technology, B.A.R.F., there were a few things that could be combed with a fine-tooth comb. It was not only a technological breakthrough but a medical one as well. Tony figured he could use the expertise of a doctor, specifically a neurosurgeon. Of course, Tony wanted to work with the best of the best. That search spread all over the world, however, and didn’t exactly line up with Tony’s keeping-things-discreet plan. That was how he came upon Dr. Stephen Strange.

The problem was, Dr. Strange fell off the surface of the earth a couple months ago. That was the most annoying feeling ever. It was like finding the perfect shirt only to find out it was sold out in your size. Where could the man have gone?

Tony could have ended it there. After all, if the man wasn’t dead, there was probably little chance he still had the refined expertise that made him so well-known. But Strange was cryptic. Tony doubted that the man was one to go around talking about personal projects with others, which was why Tony was so drawn to work with him in the first place. Now, Tony just wanted to know where the man went. He started tracking him down like he was Sherlock. Though, he would probably be the John Watson in this scenario since FRIDAY did all the heavy lifting.

It took a few days for Tony to realize that he was now tracking down two mysterious men who seemed very good at hiding. Barnes was taking a bit longer than usual, and that was probably because Tony was now focusing his attention on Strange instead looking for more clues himself. Everything about the man was either nonexistent or vague after he had a car crash a few months ago. Tony thought that maybe someone covered up his death. The only connection Tony could find was to that of Christine Palmer, an old friend and coworker.

Tony thought it’d be less creepy to show up at the hospital she and Strange worked at instead of her house to ask questions about her possibly ex-boyfriend. Predictably, she was quite surprised to have Tony Stark interrogating her at her workplace.

“Stephen?” She repeated hesitantly.

“Yeah, you worked with him, right?” Tony questioned casually.

“Yeah, and a lot of other people at this hospital,” she pointed out slyly. “What do you want him for?”

“So you know where he is?” Tony tried to catch her slip up, but her expression told him she wasn’t relenting. “Medical advice.”

“Shouldn’t you see your primary healthcare provider for that?” Christine asked smartly.

“It’s not about me. It’s actually about something I’m working on,” Tony explained vaguely. “Have you seen him?” She looked hesitant. Tony knew that she knew something. What could be so bad that his ex-girlfriend was covering for him.

“Look, he’s not in that business anymore,” she said. Not letting Tony interrupt her, she kept going, “He had an accident a few months ago that completely ruined the nerves in his hands. He’s been out of the loop since.” _Ouch_ , Tony cringed internally. A sudden sense of dread filled Tony’s stomach as he thought about himself in the same situation, not being able to create things on his own. He couldn’t imagine the pain and anger Stephen went through.

“Luckily for me, it’s really just a consultation,” Tony pressed some more. She didn’t look convinced.

“Why do you need him? There’s plenty of neurosurgeons in New York that would want to talk to Tony Stark.” Tony huffed out a laugh when she stressed his name.

“I need the best,” Tony said. Christine pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow. “It’s kind of a private affair. Look, if he’s doing something shady, I’m not going to tell anybody. I just want the chance to talk to him myself before he turns down the offer. Can you please just pass on the message?” Christine looked a bit saddened by his request.

“I can try. He’s really hard to get in touch with…” Christine said, looking at the ground. Tony felt a little put off by how concerned she looked.

“Right. Thanks for your time.”

* * *

Tony used the B.A.R.F. technology on himself to go back to one of the first time he met Steve. It was when he and Bruce were working in the lab together, and it gave Tony a strange sense of déjà vu. It wasn’t because Tony was literally experiencing the same memory, but because of how similar things were to Ultron. Tony’s big personality and extroverted mask took over the room while Bruce was able to quietly lurk in the corner. Steve was angry with him, and everyone else was watching. Strange how things repeated themselves.

He remembered how arrogantly Steve stared down at him, asking what Tony even contributed. Didn’t he realize they’d be nothing without him? Who was he but the only one who read Selvig’s notes? Who was he but the one who fixed the Helicarrier’s engine to keep them from falling thousands of feet? Who was he but the one who had to fly a nuke into space? Tony was left wondering why he was the only one who constantly had to prove himself to everybody.

“Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off what are you?” Steve approached him. Tony was controlling his memory, so he said nothing. He silenced the millions of thoughts that went through his head and kept staring into Steve’s condescending eyes. The memory didn’t change. Steve just continued to stare at him, because Tony had no answer. Tony continued to stand there until he was interrupted.

“Boss, you have a visitor,” FRIDAY said. Tony frowned and took of the frames.

“In my top security penthouse?” Tony asked.

“Yes, boss?” Tony wanted to believe that it was Pepper or Rhodey, but FRIDAY would have said their names.

“Who?” Tony asked, getting up to leave his lab. He went up a floor and was taken back to see a man in some foreign garb and a red cape on his shoulder standing with his back to him. The man turned around, and Tony was greeted with the irritated face of Stephen Strange. He looked about the same as the pictures showed him to be when Tony was researching him. However, those weren’t exactly scrubs he was wearing. “Doctor,” Tony greeted.

“Stark,” Stephen walked forward, making Tony flinch back a bit automatically. That didn’t stop Stephen’s long stride. Stephen didn’t stop until he was right in front of him. Of course, he was much taller than Tony and using that to his intimidating advantage. “I’m only going to request this once. Stop searching for me.”

“Jesus Christ,” Tony breathed out. “Did you break into my house to threaten me about looking for a _missing_ man?”

“Clearly, I’m not missing,” Stephen scoffed. “I’m not threatening you. I’m telling you.”

“I just wanted to collaborate on—”

“I don’t work in the medical field anymore,” Stephen interrupted. “Don’t bother my former coworkers about me and stop trying to track me down.” Tony didn’t exactly appreciate the demands from a man he barely knew. How was Tony supposed to know?

“Why? Are you doing something illegal?” Tony flinched back extremely hard when something sparkly and orange wrapped around his waist, pulling him back until his back slammed against the wall. _Oh fuck, he hated magic_. He thought he was on the verge of an anxiety attack when the magic let go of him. Stephen must have saw his absolutely panicked face and thought he got the message across, because he smirked. “What the hell!”

“I hope I don’t have to repeat myself more times than this,” Stephen said. Tony jumped when the man moved his arms in a circular motion, opening up what looked to be a portal behind him. _Fuck magic_. Stephen disappeared behind it, leaving Tony free to collapse onto the floor against the wall.

“What the fuck,” Tony whispered to himself, placing a hand on his chest to feel how fast his heart was beating. What did he do to just _naturally_ draw the negative attention of everyone he met?

* * *

Tony was a bit more skeptical to hunt down Barnes after the Strange incident. After all, Barnes was an actual murderer. He had a body count. Sure, he was brainwashed, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t easily snap Tony’s neck at any second. That, and he knew Steve, who wasn’t too fond of him despite his best efforts to act like he was. Barnes didn’t know that, potentially, but Tony had a right to be scared. He just wanted to help Barnes, but maybe Barnes didn’t want to be helped.

Tony couldn’t know that until he tracked down the man anyway. Plus, he was supposed to be a superhero. He couldn’t knowingly sit by while there was a possible threat to civilian lives somewhere that he could handle. B.A.R.F. worked, but Tony could only hope it could be enough for the triggers Barnes had since Tony didn’t have Strange’s aid. He thought about taking it to another neurosurgeon, but he was also scared that Strange would show up out of nowhere and punish him for tracking him down again, even if it wasn’t what he was doing.

Going to others would be the last possible option if Tony couldn’t get the frames to work for Barnes on his own. That would only happen if he could convince Barnes that he wanted to help. There was so much that could go wrong, and Tony didn’t really get any benefit out of it. He wondered why he cared so much for a world that seemed to hate him at the moment.

Tony was questioning whether he should even continue to search for Barnes. Maybe he should just confront Steve about everything and get him to confess, but then Steve would accuse him of snooping, which he was technically doing. Though, it was his parents that got killed, wasn’t it? Tony could’ve back out, but then FRIDAY alerted him.

“Boss, I’ve got a match for Sergeant Barnes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think, whether it's about this fic or CW in general.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks to everyone who's expressed the enjoyment or saltiness. Yes, Strange was an asshole last chapter. Even in Infinity War, he wasn't exactly the friendliest character. He has some things to work on.

The man was in Romania. Tony couldn’t judge. Romania wasn’t where Tony would’ve first thought to look. He stared at the blurry image FRIDAY had procured for him with uncertainty. It definitely looked like Barnes. The man’s hair was long and unkempt, and he had stubble covering the lower half of his face. He was wearing a long sleeves, which didn’t really confirm or deny anything about the metal arm Tony read about.

“Great,” Tony mumbled to himself, pondering how he was going to proceed. First, Tony checked where Steve was heading. Steve had mainly been checking HYDRA bases, thinking Barnes must have surely still been under their control. He never guessed that Barnes was hiding by himself. Steve also didn’t have access to the world’s smartest AI, so Tony wasn’t surprised when Romania ended up not being on his list of tourist spots.

Tony thought about telling Rhodey, one of the few people he still had no qualms with. That was partially the problem. Rhodey was overprotective. He’d shut down Tony’s idea immediately if not taking it to the FBI or something himself. Tony would probably tell him if he was able to successfully get Barnes to come back home with him. At least the most of the damage would already be done by then.

Tony discreetly obtained a ticket to Romania. Using one of his own jets was a bad idea since Pepper would demand to know why he was going to Romania of all places or leaving the country at all. He also didn’t want the other Avengers to catch a whiff any anything out of the ordinary with him. They’d accuse him of another secret project that would destroy the world. Natasha would probably immediately deduct what Tony was doing and how he found out, then twist the situation back on him and accuse him of keeping secrets. Yeah, Tony _really_ didn’t want to deal with that.

He told Pepper he was going underground for a couple of days. That had been made as their code for Tony taking a few “mental health days.” That was actually Pepper’s idea, not his. She pretty much insisted that he took some, especially after Ultron. This meant no one bothering him unless he bothered them first, nothing work-related. It was easy to convince Pepper that nothing was wrong when he brought them up. She was thrilled and gave him a bunch of tips on how he could relax himself for a few days, including drinking water all day instead of coffee.

Tony packed a light carry on. He couldn’t remember the last time he rode coach, but he wasn’t willing to take any chances. He let his beard grow out just a bit the few days before the trip was supposed to happen. He shaved down the rest of his goatee a bit so it wouldn’t stand out. He gave the same treatment to his hair. It was due for a haircut anyway, so Tony just neglected to cut it. It ended up curling behind is ears, which Pepper had commented on the last time he saw her. He’d have to wear sunglasses as much as he could, like an asshole.

Tony was pretty sure he had never been to Romania. It was nice. He blended in as a tourist a lot easier than he imagined since there were plenty of dads walking around in the same getup he found cringey. He decided to set up shop at the hotel and work to obtain Barnes the next day.

“Alright, FRI. What do we have?” Tony said, opening up his laptop.

“I’ve found a few more sightings of Barnes since we’re narrowed our search to Bucharest. The most recent one being from 6:27 this morning from a security cam near a market.”

“So, he likes produce,” Tony mumbled to himself, looking over the photos. “How often does he go there?”

“As best I can tell, he makes his way there almost every morning.”

“Wonder where he’s getting his money,” Tony mumbled to himself, leaning back in his chair. “Where else does he go?”

“There are no photos outside the perimeter I have set for you, Boss.” FRIDAY pulled up a map that showed the locations she found the photos to be taken.

“He doesn’t really go anywhere. Smart if you want to live discreetly, I guess.” Tony’s hotel wasn’t too far from these sightings purposefully. “I guess I should head out there in the morning, Boss.”

“I would recommend taking your watch,” FRIDAY added smartly, referring to the watch he equipped with gauntlet not too long ago. Tony nodded to himself and set the watch out so he wouldn’t forget it. He sent a text to Pepper with a smiley emoji to indicate that he was feeling well.

The next morning, he dressed up in his intentional tourist dad look, cargo shorts, tank tops, and all. He put on a pair of Ray Bans and put on the watch before heading out. He got a cup of coffee on the way, after struggling to indicate that he was fine with having it black. He got a couple of peaches while he was sitting around the market looking for a specific guy.

He wasn’t expecting to sight Barnes so soon. He also expected a much better disguise, but, then again, FRIDAY had found quite a few clear photos of hm. Barnes’ hair was a bit messy, falling in frizzy waves. His arm was covered up like usual, with a glove to cover his hand. Tony stood up, trying to walk around inconspicuously. A few people seemed to recognize Barnes, smiling at him as he came to their stands.

Tony was pretty out of his league here. Stealth was more of FRIDAY’s thing than his. He usually just came to get the job done. His mind felt fuzzy as he started to trail Barnes away from the market. At any moment, Barnes could turn around and see him. This was probably a bad idea. Tony felt that even more when Barnes disappeared inside of a building, presumably his apartment building. Tony looked at his watch before entering the building.

Barnes was gone. Great. There were floors and floors of doors, and endless amount of options for where Barnes could possibly be. Tony walked down the hallway, groaning to himself. He could just start knocking on doors, but that didn’t seem like the best tactic to hunt down a possibly still-brainwashed assassin. He walked up a flight of stairs, looking for any clue that as to where Barnes could have disappeared to. Tony gagged and gasped when he felt a metal arm start to cut off his airway.

“Who are you?” Barnes voice was deep and gruff, probably purposefully. He towered over Tony, and Tony completely forgot about the watch that FRIDAY was yelling about in his ear. Her boss was an idiot. “What do you want?” Tony chuckled nervously.

“That’s two questions. Which to answer?” He asked himself dumbly. His laugh was cut off when Barnes pressed his arm against him harder. “Right, uh, I think you know who I am.”

“You’re Stark…” Barnes said quietly.

“Bingo!” Tony said. Both of their heads turned when a resident came out of their apartment. Barnes moved away just in time for the resident to look at the two of them. Tony gave a toothy smile that made her give them a strange look before walking out. Tony cleared his throat to say something, but Barnes was already dragging him up the stairs. Tony didn’t bother trying to fight it off yet, knowing he wasn’t strong enough. Plus, Barnes could kill him in the hallway and dispose of his body afterwards if he really wanted.

His apartment was quaint. Well, it was pretty dirty. There was a lone mattress on the floor that probably acted as the bed. Tony thought Barnes might appreciate the finer things in life after coming out of being brainwashed since he liked to buy his fruits in the market, but who was he to judge. Barnes practically threw Tony into an old wooden chair in the kitchenette. They were actually going to have a peaceful conversation, but then Barnes pulled out a gun.

“What do you want?” Barnes said, a lot less threateningly since that gun did all that for him.

“Well, you’re a HYDRA assassin…” Tony started off vaguely.

“Ex,” Barnes corrected, sitting down across from Tony.

“Exactly. No one else really knows that,” Barnes seemed surprised at Tony’s response. “You had no control over yourself, right?”

“What do you know about me?” Barnes’ eyes were narrowed at him, but he seemed a lot more interested in what he was saying.

“James Buchanan Barnes,” Tony started off. He was tempted to pull out his phone to read off a list, but he was almost completely positive that Barnes would shoot him and ask questions after. “Uh, you fell in 1945, which is how you were captured by HYDRA. You’ve been used as a weapon over the years. I’m almost positive you were involved in the debacle that happened last year with Captain America.” Barnes flinched at the same. Tony raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. “Yeah, you remember him don’t you?”

“What do you want with me?” Barnes seemed a lot more reserved than before, like he was holding the gun for defense instead of as a threat.

“You’re dangerous. Very dangerous. I want to help you to stop being dangerous,” Tony suggested innocently.

“So you’re not doing this for me?” Barnes said with a slight smile. Tony was taken back by the humor.

“Sorry, bud. We’re not there yet. You’re also very, very wanted. I’m not a fan of the whole brainwashing thing. If you want a chance to sleep in a real bed,” Tony said, pointedly staring at the mattress on the floor, “you’ll probably want to consider the offer.”

“Why wouldn’t you want me incarcerated?” Tony stared at him for a few moments.

“Mission Report: December 16th, 1991,” Tony said emotionlessly. Barnes’ eyes widened slightly, but his face gave away no sign that he was affected otherwise.

“Why don’t you want me incarcerated?” Barnes whispered, still not moving his weapon away.

“Do you remember?”

“All of them.”

“Do you want to do something about it?” Tony asked softly. Barnes stared at him. “Not just for me but for all the families you’ve wronged.” Tony knew he was tugging at heartstrings here. Barnes guilt was clear on his face, even if Tony knew he wasn’t to blame for those he “wronged.” Tony didn’t think Barnes would allow him to help if there wasn’t some sort of ulterior motive present.

“I don’t see how you can help.”

“Vow to protect them?” Barnes laughed. “You fucked things up, and now you’re going to make sure nothing ever hurts them again.”

“They don’t want me to protect them.”

“Maybe not.” Tony shrugged. It was very possible that the other families wouldn’t see the reason that he did about Barnes being nothing more than a weapon. “Doesn’t mean you can cower away in Bucharest forever.”

“You’re drive a hard bargain,” Barnes drawled, rolling his eyes. He finally let his weapon hand relax as he rubbing his eyes. “What’s your plan, Stark?”

“Come back to me with America. I hide you in my tower—”

“You’re going to make me _live_ with you?”

“Make you?” Tony scoffed. “This is an honor, buddy.” Barnes raised an amused eyebrow. Tony was having a hard time remembering that this guy was a brainwashed assassin now that he was a lot more relaxed. “I could put you in a safehouse, but then we’d have to worry about transporting you through New York every day so I could help you with your triggers.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“Well, I was going to get a doctor’s help…” Tony murmured, thinking back to his encounter with Strange. “But that didn’t go well, so we’re going to have to stick with my technology.”

“Sounds safe," Barnes muttered sarcastically.

“You bet.”

“What about everyone else?”

“Everyone else?”

“The Avengers,” Barnes drawled sarcastically, clearly making fun of the whole idea. Tony snorted, making Barnes raise an eyebrow at him. “SHIELD. The government who actively wants me dead.”

“They don’t want you dead,” Tony waved him off. “And they won’t know. Just you, me, and your triggers, bud.”

“You don’t seem like the type to do this type of thing.”

“What, pro bono?”

“The whole illegally achieving what’s necessary thing.”

“Ah, vigilante work. Yeah, I’m new to it. That a problem?” Barnes shook his head and shrugged.

“When do we leave?”

“That depends. You got internet? I need to buy some tickets.”

* * *

When Tony made it back to U.S. soil, he worked on getting a flight for Barnes. He wasn’t adept in getting Barnes illegally across the border, and he didn’t trust the man to do it himself. Sending one of his own jets discreetly with some crazy requests for some foreign fruits would do the job even if it made Tony look as acquisitive as people thought he was. The problem occurred when Tony had to inconspicuously remind them that he was actually in the U.S. not up to anything suspicious without them actually finding out he was reminding them.

He ended up accepting another invite to the compound after the jet hit the skies to pick Barnes. Tony sent a text to his burner phone to confirm it before reading an email—an _email_ —from Steve for Tony to visit the compound since Clint was coming around for a visit. He was also sent a request to invite Pepper. Tony groaned to himself before sending back a _very_ formal email, accepting the invite with an unspoken malice.

“Why didn’t they invite me themselves?” Pepper asked, a bit bitter. Tony had come down from the penthouse to tell her in her office.

“Natasha trying to stir things up,” Tony answered, propping his feet up on her desk. She ignored that and elected to raise an eyebrow at him. “They think we’re still together.”

“Tony!” Tony cringed. “You haven’t told them?”

“They think I’m the most irresponsible person on this planet! I’m not going to tell them that my girlfriend broke up with me! That’ll only add to their preconception that I ruin everything.” Pepper’s gaze softened.

“You want me to be in a fake relationship with you?”

“No,” Tony groaned. “I want them to stop being assholes that act like I’m the scum of earth. Especially since Clint is going to be there. The man is younger than me with a wife and three kids.”

“Who cares?” Pepper scoffed. “Being married with children doesn’t deem you successful. You’ve saved more lives than all of them combined.” Pepper stood up from her desk. “Screw it, they can think we’re still dating.”

“I have to tell them at some point…”

“Not today you don’t,” Pepper said with a smile. “Why are you accepting their invitation if you don’t want to be around them.”

_Because of Barnes,_ Tony thought. “Because I don’t want to give Rogers anymore of a reason to complain about me.”

Pepper and Tony decided to dress up for the occasion, like they had come straight from work, which Pepper technically did. Tony put on a tie and everything. It felt to Pepper like they were going undercover, making her giddy. Tony rolled his eyes fondly.

“We’re busy people with busy lives who decided to take out to bless them with our presence,” Pepper told him firmly. “Repeat that.”

“Yeah, I’m good,” Tony snorted. He pointed to the folders in her hand. “What’s that?”

“Dinner topics to discuss,” Pepper answered with a smile. Tony squinted at her, making her laugh. “It’s information about the internships.”

“You brought that for our visit?”

“It goes with our persona, busy people, taking our work with us,” Pepper explained as they walked up to the front of the building. “Plus, I actually needed to show you them. I think you’ll be excited.” Tony hummed and carded himself into the building, holding the door open for Pepper.

Steve was in front of them soon enough to greet both of them with a handshake. He led them to the common room that was disclosed for the Avengers. Everyone else was chatting with Clint, stopping momentarily to greet Tony and Pepper. Clint and Tony didn’t exactly leave on a bad note, but things still felt awkward as he got up to give him and Pepper a quick hug. It hadn’t been that long since he’d seen them.

“What’s with the funeral-ware?” Clint joked, taking in their work attire.

“Yeah, we said this was a casual thing,” Steve said, looking at Tony as he did. Tony shrugged and loosened his tie.

“We came from work and didn’t want to be late,” Pepper said extra sweetly. Natasha seemed to be studying her, her eyes flickering back between the two of them. Tony subtly moved closer to her, putting his hand on her back as if to guide to her sit down.

“Oh,” Steve responded quietly. “Are you staying for dinner?” It would be a long flight for Barnes. Tony wanted to be there when Barnes landed, but that wouldn’t be until well in the morning. He debated it internally since he really had no reason to stick around.

“You have to,” Clint responded. “Vision is making a roast.”

“Pepper was meaning to show me some work-related stuff though…” Tony trailed off, not even convincing himself.

“You need a break from work,” Natasha added with a smile. Tony looked at Pepper who shrugged unhelpfully. “Great.”

Hanging out with the other Avengers had stopped being Tony’s favorite pastime a long time ago. He questioned all his life choices up until the point where he was listening to Wilson explain a dating app to Steve, then Barnes texted him that he was boarding the jet. Barnes had better damn well appreciate what Tony was putting himself through. Tony was zoning out from the conversation when Vision and Wanda invited them to sit at the dining table, since dinner would be ready soon. Pepper took this time to show Tony what she had found.

She had a whole list of possible candidates from all over the country plus a few international students that might be suitable for the summer program she was in the process of developing. Tony skimmed the names a bit and nodded absentmindedly. She pulled out a list of possible New York candidates for schoolyear internships. Many of them came from Columbia University and NYU, not that Tony was surprised. Tony’s gaze was caught by a kid near the bottom of the list from Midtown School of Science and Technology.

“Peter Parker,” Pepper said knowingly.

“Yeah, why is there a fourteen-year-old on the list?” Tony asked.

“A contact from that school recommended him,” Pepper answered. “It was _really_ good.”

“Good for a middle-schooler?”

“He’s a freshman,” Pepper corrected. “And good as in he could give professors at MIT a run for their money.” Tony snorted. “Yeah, he’s still learning, but he’s got a lot of potential.”

“Good for him,” Tony complimented. Pepper continued to look at him. “What?”

“I want him to be your personal intern.”

“Why?”

“I just told you why.”

“You just convinced me he was smart enough to survive the gruesome curriculum you’re cooking up for college kids. I don’t understand why you don’t just wait a couple years?”

“He’ll be fifteen soon, and he’s going to be getting attention, Tony.” Pepper nudged him slightly. “You won’t be the only one trying to recruit him.” Tony snorted.

“No, but I’m Tony Stark.” Pepper pursed her lips. “What’s that look for?”

“Nothing, I guess I’ll just put it off and hope Oscorp doesn’t snatch him up,” Pepper said innocently, starting to put the folder away.

“Jesus, Pep, fine. I’ll take him,” Tony relented.

“No, no. I don’t want to force anything on you.”

“You’re not. If I don’t like him he’s out.”

“Who’s out?” Steve asked, finally butting in on their conversation. Tony and Pepper had ended up isolating themselves from the conversation when Pepper busted out the folder with the internship information.

“Work stuff,” Tony answered casually.

“Firing someone?” Natasha teased.

“That’s the job of someone with a much lower rank than me, so…”

“So, can I email him?” Pepper whispered when the attention was off of them again.

“Fine. How soon do I have to expect him?” Tony asked nervously, thinking about Barnes being around.

“If he accepts, I’ll try to get him in the next couple of weeks.”

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, if you like this stuff, you'll probably like the new tumblr blog my friend and I started: respect-tony-stark, doubling as our writing blog :)  
> I'm going to school in a couple days, but I already have chapters lined up. You should probably expect about one a week as I continue to try and write it all out.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> man, I started school and this is the only story I have pre-written for a while, so it's the only thing I can post :)  
> I'm excited about this one though.  
> Edit: I don't know what happened, but this is chapter four of the four I've published, I don't know why it said five before

Tony was there to greet Barnes when he arrived. Barnes had on all black clothes accompanied by a hoodie and sunglasses, though the sun hadn’t risen yet. Tony went a bit lazier with it, wearing sweatpants and an old band t-shirt he had laying around. Barnes still looked skeptical when stepping off the plane, which didn’t really offend Tony considering his general persona, both of their personas actually.

“What’s good, Bucky?” Tony teased him, looking relaxed with his hands in his pockets. He was hiding the pounding of his heart pretty well, unless Barnes had super hearing. Barnes scary demeanor dropped when he rolled his eyes.

“Great. How are you doing, tin man?” Barnes conversed, falling into step with Tony as they walked to the car.

“Tin man, really? Does that make you the scarecrow?” Tony jumped when Barnes surprised him with his bark of a laugh.

“That’s a low blow,” Barnes chuckled. “The brain thing? Not cool,” Barnes said even though his shoulders were still shaking with laughter

“You just implied I had no heart. Who’s the real heartless one?” Tony slid himself into the driver’s seat and buckled up, giving Barnes a look when he didn’t do the same. Barnes rolled his eyes and buckled up. “See, things are much easier if you just listen to me. We’re going to be great friends.”

“If you don’t kill me with your rude humor first, maybe.”

Driving home with an assassin in his passenger seat was a lot different than he imagined it to be. It also felt like he was transporting a huge box of drugs across New York. At least drugs wouldn’t accidentally get him shot if it were to be discovered. Barnes had the window down despite the deadpan look Tony that gave him.

“Are you a fucking dog or just trying to get us caught?” Tony muttered, still not rolling up the window.

“I thought you said that people weren’t actively looking for me in New York,” Barnes said smartly, making Tony roll his eyes. “Relax, it’s just been a while since I’ve had a calm car ride.”

“Jesus, do you even have your triggers anymore?” Tony said with a snort. “I swear you’re a lot different than your files described you to be. I was expecting a lot more cryptic looks and deadly smiles.”

“And I expected a lot more charming smiles and annoying banter,” Barnes snarked back, sticking his flesh hand out the window. Tony smiled to himself and sped down the street a bit. “Are you trying to get us pulled over?”

“I’m Tony Stark. They can’t pull me over.”

“They can, even before you charm them with your baby browns,” Barnes said while rolling his eyes, pulling his hand back in. “Fine. I’m done. I’ll stop the fun.”

“Glad you notice my eyes, Bucky,” Tony teased.

“Stop calling me that.”

“Nope.”

“Stop—”

“Also, I’m very fun. We’ll have plenty of fun.”

Barnes looked around the tower cautiously as Tony led him inside. Tony greeted FRIDAY when they entered the elevator, eyeing the way Barnes seemed to constantly shift. He decided against saying anything when they stopped on a floor designated as storage. The doors opened to just that: storage. Boxes flooded the rooms, though it had a layout similar to a large apartment. Tony had always thought he’d turn it into a guest floor before he just started storing projects in it. It was very dusty since he didn’t let anyone except himself onto it, and he didn’t know if he even owned a duster.

“Homey,” Barnes muttered, following Tony to the kitchen. Tony flicked on a light and opened the empty fridge. He opened an empty cabinet next, coughing and waving away the dust.

“I’ll go grocery shopping.”

“ _You’ll_ go grocery shopping?” Bucky repeated.

“Who else?”

“Do you even know how to grocery shop?”

“You know, you don’t have to keep bringing up rich-people stereotypes.”

“Do you?” Barnes asked again. Tony narrowed his eyes at him.

“I’ll have you know I escaped a cave with nothing but scraps, sir,” Tony remarked sardonically, ignoring Barnes’ chuckle. “Just get me a list or something.”

“With what? My blood and some cardboard?” Barnes asked, motioning around to the boxes.

“You know, this is luxurious to what you were living in. Have some respect. Look, I’ll show you the bed you’ll have instead of a mattress.” Tony led him to one of the many bedrooms on the floor, opening the door to another dusty room. It was quite modest compared to the rest of the tower. Bucky looked around the room a bit before setting his bag down. He looked other-worldly again, so Tony treaded lightly.

“I’ve been joking around,” Bucky muttered. “But thanks Stark. I’m really glad the internet wasn’t right about you.” Tony felt a sad smile creep onto his face. “I thought I would die in a few years give or take due to someone finding out about me, so thank you.”

“I’m glad the HYDRA files were wrong about you,” Tony joked back, feeling himself pull away at the display of sudden gratefulness. He coughed awkwardly and stuck his hands back in his pockets. Sweatpants were amazing, and he should invest in more. “We’ll start the decoding in a couple of days. I’ll let you get settled and get groceries and stuff before we get down to the dirty work.”

“How are you going to keep Rogers and the Avengers from finding out about me?” Tony frowned when Barnes called him “Rogers.”

“What do you mean? Hopefully the same way I keep everyone from knowing, by not telling them.”

“Don’t they live here?” Barnes asked, gesturing around him to refer to the tower. Pursing his lips, Tony shook his head sheepishly.

“No, I’m all by my lonesome here, Buck,” Tony said casually. Barnes’ eyes twitched at the nickname, but he continued to gaze at Tony seriously. “They live at the Avengers compound.”

“Why don’t you live there?”

“Besides the fact that I’m a grown ass man with my own place?” Tony snarked, running his fingers along the dusty surface of a dresser. “I’m the odd kid out.”

“Aren’t you a group of misfits?” Bucky teased.

“Yeah, like the breakfast club,” Tony said sarcastically. Bucky clearly didn’t get the reference because he just stared at Tony blankly. “I’m Bender, by the way. Except I don’t get the pretty redhead.”

“I have no idea what you’re fucking talking about,” Bucky muttered. Tony snorted.

“Yeah, you’ll get used to that. Anyway, no. To them, I’m the personality you were researching on the internet.” Bucky looked like he was cringing, so Tony wondered what sort of articles he must have come by. Kicking his foot back in forth awkwardly, Tony nodded with pursed lips. “Yeah, ouch.”

“Does this have to do with that robot?”

“Robot…” Tony repeated dumbly, knowing Barnes was referring to Ultron. “Yeah, sort of. Your pal Rogers never really liked me, but I kind of fucked everything up with Ultron so…”

“Fucked everything up?” Bucky sat down at the end of the bed. They had yet to turn on the lights, letting the lights from the city and from the kitchen illuminate their faces. The sun was starting to come up anyway.

“I was messing with the scepter which turned out to be the mind stone. It sort of took control of this program I created. It took the same name I made up, so, naturally, it made it look like I purposefully created the murder bot thingy. Technically, Bruce was there too, but I don’t even know where he is.” Bucky sat silently as Tony fumbled with his thumbs while explaining the story. “Anyway, I don’t know if you slept on the plane. I’ll be in touch.”

Tony went up to the penthouse. For a moment, it concerned Tony how close he and Barnes really were. He thought about going asleep himself, but he was too filled with jitters. Instead, he pulled out a notepad and started writing down things he saw around in his own kitchen thanks to Pepper. He didn’t really cook, but Pepper still had hopes. At least she would cook for herself whenever she visited. Tony meant to go grocery shopping as soon as possible, but things got a little busy. He gave Barnes a card, which earned him a crazy look.

“I’m a billionaire, Buck. Just try not to go further than around the corner for a sub or something,” Tony said. Barnes slowly took the card. It had a fake name on it: James Buck.

“Really,” Barnes muttered, unimpressed. “That’s the best you could come up with?”

“What? I thought it was clever,” Tony teased. “Seriously though, stay covered or sneak up to the penthouse for some snacks. I thought I’d just give you the choice by giving you a card.”

“You don’t want me to stay in the tower?” Barnes asked, a bit astonished.

“Do whatever the fuck you want,” Tony shrugged casually, trying to ignore the biting feeling in the back of his mind that told him to keep Barnes on his floor. “I can’t let you starve when I have yet to go to the grocery.”

“Why don’t I just go?” Tony laughed.

“Better security cameras,” Tony answered. “I also don’t see how you can discreetly get a kitchen’s worth of groceries home, so just let me handle it in a few days.”

“How domestic,” Barnes drawled.

Tony continued to sit back silently while Rogers went on trips around the world. There was a smug feeling in the back of his mind whenever Rogers ended up home empty-handed with a defeated look on his face. He couldn’t spend all his time focusing on Rogers since he was constantly testing and recalibrating B.A.R.F. to make sure it was suitable to aid in the triggers. On top of that, Pepper was constantly bothering him with the internship program—which was his idea, to be fair—and PR since the articles were rarely improving his image.

“I need a favor,” Pepper asked one day, walking into the penthouse. Tony thought he finally had a clear enough day to get some more permanent supplies for Barnes.

“Yes?” Tony sighed, hiding his grocery list in a drawer.

“The internship—” Tony let out a dramatic groan, making Pepper stare at him blankly until he was done. “The internship, specifically your personal intern.”

“I have a couple of weeks to prepare, don’t I?” Tony pleaded.

“Actually, he’s coming in today.” Tony’s eyes bugged out.

“What? What the hell, Pep!” Tony marched around the kitchen island to take the papers in her hand. He scanned over the Peter Parker file.

“Everything is processed and ready to go, but he needs to start sooner to make this eligible for credits,” Pepper explained calmly.

“So? Why not just throw him in with the rest of the interns until I’m ready?” Tony exasperated.

“You need to fill out the paperwork so he can take it to school _tomorrow_. He has to come get it anyway, so you might as well show him the ropes of what you’ll be doing.”

“But I don’t know what I’ll be doing.” Pepper gave him a fake cheery smile.

“You’re Tony Stark. Winging it is what you’re pro at.” Pepper pushed the papers to his chest before patting it. “He’ll be here in a couple hours, so I’ll be bringing him to your lab.”

“This is an invasion of privacy,” Tony muttered to himself, thumbing through the stack of papers she handed him.

“Try to be dressed when he gets here!” Pepper called back while she walked to the elevator. Tony looked down at his attire: some boxer shorts and an old t-shirt with a couple of holes in it. Probably not appropriate.

Tony was still listing things in his lab when Pepper brought the kid. He had changed into sweatpants and a hoodie, a closet choice Pepper raised her eyebrows at. He looked even smaller in person. It could be because of how tall Pepper was, especially in heels. It could also be how curled into himself the kid looked, like he was too shy to even exist.

“Tony,” Pepper called out. Tony looked up from his list and immediately made eye-contact with the boy who looked shocked to even be in his presence. Pepper smiled and eyed him with an unspoken threat that said, ‘don’t fuck this up.’ “I hope that’s a list of what you’re going to be showing him today.”

“Sure…” Tony drawled, sliding it away under the internship papers. Tony stood up and walked over to them, holding out his hand for Peter to shake. “Tony Stark.”

“P-peter,” Peter stuttered, shaking his hand a bit weakly. Tony suddenly questioned everything about letting a boy this young around his lab.

“Tony is going to be introducing you to what you’ll do with him. He’ll also finish the paperwork for you to get to school,” Pepper explained, looking sharply up at Tony. “Isn’t that right?”

“You don’t have to hang me by my balls. Yes, Pep. I got it,” Tony snarked, raising his hands in a surrender motion. “I’ve got a full day planned.” Pepper raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Really,” Tony answered. He smiled and dropped a hand on Peter’s shoulder, making the boy jump. “So you can stop bothering me about it.” Pepper rolled her eyes and smiled at Peter.

“Peter here has both of our numbers now—” she gave Tony a glare when his mouth opened to argue. “Our _work_ numbers. So he can call me if anything goes wrong.”

“I promise I’ll behave.”

“I’ll pick you up later, Peter, to make sure everything went well. Alright?” Peter nodded frantically. Pepper gave Tony one last look before exiting the lab. Tony and Peter stood for a while until Tony was sure that Pepper was out of hearing distance.

“So, Peter,” Tony got his attention. The kid looked so jittery, Tony was afraid to touch him. “I lied. I have nothing planned today.”

“Oh…” Peter said, not really sure how to react.

“Nothing about the internship, that is. Do me a favor and don’t tell Pepper. I swear we’ll do something more fun next time.” Tony walked away to grab his list, a pair of sunglasses, and a hat.

“Next time?” Peter stuttered out. He was tugging on the strings of his school hoodie. His eyes bugged out when Tony offered him a pair of sunglasses. He took the hesitantly. “What am I doing with these?”

“Wearing them…” Tony said like it was obvious. “Come on. We’re going grocery shopping.”

“Grocery shopping?”

“It’s kind of an emergency. You’re from Queens right? You ever grocery shop?”

“Uh, sometimes. My aunt usually does most of it.”

“Still better than me. We’re shopping enough to fill an entire kitchen. When we get back I’ll fill out the paperwork and hopefully plan something actually useful to do with our time. If Pepper or your school asks, tell them I went over safety procedures in my lab.”

“Safety procedures. Got it,” Peter stuttered, still dumbfounded as he followed Tony underground. There was an array of cars to choose from, all more expensive than Peter thought he’s ever seen.

“You got a license, kid?” Tony asked. Peter thought his jaw might have actually hit the floor with how shocked he was. Tony barked out a laugh. “I’m totally kidding. You’re like twelve.”

“Fourteen,” Peter corrected meekly. Tony just grinned at him, opening the door to a Hummer. It wasn’t his choice car, but sacrifices had to be made for subtly and space. “Why are we shopping for an entire kitchen, sir?”

“You can drop the sir. Also, I told you it was an emergency. Emergency means no questions,” Tony answered casually, pulling out into the street. Peter would have never believed a few weeks ago that he’d earn an internship with Tony Stark, but he would believe it even less that he’d be driving to the grocery store with him. Peter put the sunglasses on when they parked, clearly afraid that Tony Stark would be recognized and mobbed in public. “Hey, kid. We’re fine. No one’s going to be expecting me to be walking around a grocery store in the middle of the day,” Tony tried to reason, unconvincingly when he remembered some of the photos he saw of himself on twitter.

Using his intern to his advantage, he made Peter grab a second cart to push. He started off in the produce section, not knowing what to get or how to check for what was the best to get. He eventually figured that the brightest and biggest were the way to go, and instructed Peter to just grab a little of everything.

“Everything?” Peter asked, watching as Tony grabbed and bagged a few tomatoes.

“Well, everything people actually eat. I don’t think he eats kale,” Tony answered. Peter was left wondering who the ‘he’ was but did as instructed. They went up and down all the isles, filling the carts up to the brink. Tony mostly kept things healthy since that’s the lifestyle he thought Barnes was probably living, but he also threw in a couple of classic American snacks he wanted to see the man try. It was a weird feeling when Tony realized that grocery shopping for an assassin was giving him his main source of joy at the moment.

“You should check the expiration date,” Peter mumbled at Tony stated grabbing dairy products. Tony paused and looked down at the jug of milk he was holding, frowning. Peter moved closer to point at the date labeled clearly near the top. “This one expires soon, so you should get one with a later date.”

“Oh,” Tony said. Peter looked a bit relieved at his casual reaction, probably expecting backlash from correcting the billionaire. “I knew interns were useful. What did I tell Pepper?” Tony said to himself smugly, making Peter laugh. Tony smiled at him, glad the kid was finally chilling out a bit. Grocery shopping with an ignorant billionaire probably did that to people.

They got a few stares from people as they loaded up their mountain of products onto the conveyor belt to check out. Tony didn’t even flinch when the tired cashier muttered out the charge, easily inserting his card and grabbing the mile-long receipt. To boy clearly had a lot of stamina, because he loaded more bags into the car and took the cart back.

“Alright,” Tony said cheerfully, rubbing his hands together. “That didn’t take as long as expected. I’ll have plenty of time before Pepper gets back.” Tony pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Barnes.

Like requested, Barnes stood in the lower level with a giant laundry cart usually used by the janitorial staff for lab coats and towels. He wore a hoodie and sunglasses, but Tony could tell he had a confused expression when Peter got out of the car. Peter went back to his frigid self when he saw Barnes who still looked threatening even with the long hair and metal arm hidden away.

“Who’s this, your secret love child?” Barnes asked, bringing the cart over. Peter didn’t respond and started loading bags into the giant cart instead. Tony moved to help him, rolling his eyes at Barnes.

“He’s my intern,” Tony answered smugly. Barnes barked out a laugh, scaring Peter.

“Poor kid. You made him grocery shop with you?”

“Pepper didn’t give me any warning! It’s my first day off, and I finally had time,” Tony explained.

“This doesn’t concern you at all?” Barnes asked, motioning to himself and Peter when Peter’s back was turned. Tony shrugged sheepishly.

“It’s fine. You’re fine, right? We’re all fine. We start in a few days, okay?” Tony answered, purposefully keeping things vague. Bucky shrugged and leaned against the cart. “You could get your lazy ass over here and help us with _your_ groceries.”

“No one told you to buy so much,” Bucky laughed. “Did you get any bananas?” Tony threw him a glare, making Barnes laugh again.

“Hey, kid,” Tony talked to Peter while they were all in the elevator to bring the food up. “Don’t tell anybody about this, not even Pepper.” Peter’s eyes widened.

“What? Why? Where are we going?” Tony realized how he made the situation seem a lot graver than it actually was, but he couldn’t let the secret about Barnes get out to anyone just yet. The elevator doors opened, and Peter flinched back before he saw that it was just a regular-looking apartment. He blinked a few times.

“Wow, you cleaned,” Tony commented, pushing the laundry cart. Peter moved to help him, still looking around like he was expecting to see a dead body.

“You left it a dusty mess. Of course I cleaned it,” Bucky muttered. Tony took a deep breath when they got the cart to the kitchen.

“Alright,” Tony said, dropping his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “My amazing intern is going to help you put stuff away while I do his paperwork.”

“You are actually going to do real internship stuff with him, right?” Barnes called out, opening the empty fridge. Tony sat at the table not too far from the kitchen and opened up the file.

“Of course. His friends will be so jealous when they see the cool stuff we build,” Tony called back, winking at Peter. Things fell pretty silent while everyone worked on their respective task. Tony was still neck deep in paperwork when he smelled something cooking. He looked up to see Peter sitting calmly at the kitchen island, smiling as he talked to Barnes. Barnes had taken off his sunglasses and hood, revealing his hair tied up in a bun. He was cooking vegetables in a pan, but Tony couldn’t tell what meal he was making. “Is that a bun?”

“You told me to hide my hair,” Barnes shrugged.

“You look like a millennial douche,” Tony commented. Peter laughed before he covered up his mouth with his hands. Barnes scoffed, throwing a fake glare at Peter.

“Listen here, old man—”

“Hey!” Tony cried out. “I am not old! You’re older than me!”

“Do your work and let me cook.”

“Well, isn’t this domestic,” Tony scoffed. He signed off on one last thing before standing up and slapping the file down in front of Peter. “Tell your school to lighten up. Jesus, I might get carpal tunnel. What are you making, Buck?”

“Buck?” Peter repeated.

“My last name,” Barnes answered, glaring at Tony. “Stir fry.”

“Yes,” Tony groaned. “I knew I saved your ass for a reason.” Peter looked like he had a million and a half questions, but he kept quiet. “Hurry up, because I have to take Peter back to the lab before Pepper comes and thinks I kidnapped him.”

“I only made enough for me and the kid,” Bucky teased. Tony faked a laugh. Peter was a lot more casual when they made their way back up to the lab, talking about how Mr. Buck was so cool.

“Easy on the hero-worship. Remember, it’s a secret,” Tony reminded him, winking. Pepper was already in the lab when they walked in. She gave him an exasperated look.

“Where were you?” She asked, walking over.

“Giving him the tour,” Tony lied swiftly.

“Did you at least finish the paperwork,” Pepper asked in a stressed tone. Peter held up the file with a small smile.

“Right here Miss Potts,” Peter answered shyly. Pepper let out a sigh and smiled back.

“Great. I’ll walk you out. Try not to be late, Tony. He has to ride the subway,” Pepper reminded him. Tony gave Peter a wave as he and Pepper left before he sagged down in his chair, running a hand over his face. Maybe he should actually start planning internship things to do with the kid. He couldn’t let him down now. He was in on one of Tony’s biggest secrets. For now, he could do the finishing details on Barnes’ treatment.


	5. Chapter 5

“Stand down, soldier,” Tony sighed into the microphone. Barnes was giving him a blank stare though Tony was behind a one-way mirror. Tony had lost count of how many attempts this was. He wanted to say Barnes was getting better, that some of the words weren’t as affecting him as much, but Tony couldn’t point to any noticeable changes.

Barnes claimed they had to just keep trying whenever he came to. Tony would either have to hope the soldier fell asleep or took the drugs Tony provided for him. He didn’t like to be around him for too long.

The soldier wasn’t hostile whenever he was triggered, and he complied with everything that Tony requested. That was the problem, not that Barnes was hostile but that anyone could control him. Coming to that realization made him that much angrier at H.Y.D.R.A. when thinking about his parents’ deaths.

When Barnes came to, Tony let him out of the room, handing him a candy bar. Barnes took it with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s this for?” He asked, already unwrapping it.

“Poison,” Tony answered. Barnes rolled his eyes and took a giant bite, chewing it obnoxiously in Tony’s face. “For your blood sugar.”

“I think you’re feeling bad for me,” Barnes said with his mouth full. Tony shrugged, sitting down on Barnes now dust-free couch. “It’s alright if you can’t fix it.”

“You’re a cool guy, but I can’t let you walk free if people can make you shank civilians with a few words,” Tony explained.

“No, but I don’t want to stay in hiding forever.” Tony looked at Barnes when he said it. He looked a bit defeated. “I could turn myself in—”

“Seriously? It hasn’t been but a couple weeks and you’re already ready to give up!” Tony said angrily.

“I’m not saying now,” Barnes drawled. “But you can’t hide me forever.”

“I won’t need to. We’ll figure this out.”

“Then what?”

“Then we get your name cleared,” Tony said unconvincingly.

“How are you going to do that?”

“Besides the fact that SI has the best lawyers money and loyalty can buy—”

“Maybe I’ve killed one of their grandparents,” Barnes muttered.

“That’s not funny,” Tony deadpanned. “The point is, you can spend to the rest of your life trying to clear your guilt instead of hiding away hoping no one ever finds out. Victims deserve to know the truth.”

“Why can’t we just give it to them now.”

“Because, Buck,” Tony stood up with a smile on his face. “I’m attached to you now.”

* * *

“You want me to do what?” Tony asked, squinting at Pepper. She looked tired and stared at him blankly.

“Not just you, you and your comrades,” Pepper corrected. Tony raised an eyebrow, shaking his head slightly with wide eyes. “Oh, my god, the Avengers.”

“Ah…” Tony said, nodding when he finally understood. “Right. Why?”

“Your approval ratings haven’t increased.”

“What am I, the president?” Pepper scoffed and chuckled.

“No, still higher than that,” Pepper said with an amused smile. “I’m being serious. Something needs to be done.”

“Pepper,” Tony groaned, throwing his head back as he did so. “I don’t care what they think.”

“The company does. Do a few interviews with a few of the other members to show you still get along and are doing well.”

“We don’t get along, and we aren’t doing well,” Tony deadpanned.

“Well, maybe the interview will help. I’m setting them up.”

“With who? What if it makes things worse, Pep? I usually handle this kind of stuff for them. They don’t know how to talk to people.”

“So help them,” Pepper exasperated. “Please, Tony. Don’t do it for them. Do it for yourself, for the company.”

“Have you even talked to them about it?” Tony asked, hoping she’d say no.

“Yes, and Rogers agreed almost immediately.” Tony threw his head back but didn’t say anything. “He thinks it will be a good way to bring to team closer together.”

“Of course he does,” Tony muttered under his breath. “Now I don’t really have a choice, do I?”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is, you went to Rogers before you went to me,” Tony said accusingly. “Now, if I refuse, it’s going to look like I’m the asshole, not like he’s the only who doesn’t trust me.”

“I didn’t mean for it to work out like that,” Pepper said apologetically. Tony paced for a bit, trying to think of all the worst-case scenarios and how easy it would be to pay off producers and editors if something went wrong.

“Fine,” Tony relented. Pepper gave him a relieved smile. “If something goes wrong, it’s your fault.”

* * *

His intern was acting weird, really weird. The first thing was him now showing up after his first day, which was just a trip to the grocery store. Tony had a bit of anxiety considering he exposed him to the biggest secret he was holding at the moment, but a bit of that was diminished when Peter showed up after a couple weeks, looking better than ever. Tony noticed he had brown eyes since the kid wasn’t wearing his glasses.

“You get contacts, kid?” Is the first thing Tony said to the kid when Pepper walks him into the lab. Peter’s eyes widened, surprised Tony had noticed. The kid shrugged shyly and shook his head.

“Uh, no,” he said quietly.

“Don’t tell me they were a style choice,” Tony said, raising his eyebrows. Pepper gave him a look that said, ‘knock it off,’ so Tony just laughed to himself. “Well, come on. We’ve got interning stuff for you to do.”

“What stuff?” Pepper asked. “I want to know this time.”

“Why? Don’t you trust me?” Tony said nonchalantly, pulling up some robotic plans. Pepper took a look at his screen, nodding approvingly. “This is only a bit of it. Peter here has been promoted.”

“Promoted?” Pepper and Peter said at the same time. Tony nodded enthusiastically, standing to place both hands on Peter’s shoulders. If Tony didn’t know better, he’d say that Peter grew a few inches.

“Yes. Peter, how would you feel about getting a credit in communications?” Tony said casually. Pepper frowned at him, not knowing where he was going with this. Peter sputtered, trying to think of an answer. “You’re my personal intern right? You go where I go.”

“Tony…” Pepper trailed off, still unsure.

“Pepper’s requiring me to do a bunch of interviews and stuff I don’t want to do. I need someone trustworthy to follow me around and make sure I’m not forgetting stuff.”

“Like an assistant?” Peter asked, scrunching up his nose.

“Like an intern who still gets to do stuff in the lab,” Tony argued back, “and potentially gets to meet the Avengers.” Peter’s jaw drop, and Pepper’s eyes bugged out at him.

“No way!” Peter whisper yelled.

“Yes way!” Tony responded in a mocking voice. Tony went over to his desk to pull out a recent development of a Stark Tablet, still unreleased since Tony was too lazy to work on it. He unlocked it with a number sequence that spelled out ‘Parker.’ “Everything you need to know is on here. Emails and texts I get from Pepper and other important people, you filter and tell to me—”

“Filter?” Pepper interrupted. Tony ignored her, continuing to show Peter the tablet.

“Twitter downloaded to see the sort of reception we’re getting. Do you have a twitter?” Peter shook his head. “What kind of young person are you? Okay, you’re getting a twitter soon. Anyway, you’re paying attention to stocks too—”

“I don’t know how stocks work,” Peter said sheepishly.

“That’s why you’re interning, to learn.”

“Is this a permanent thing?” Peter asked, taking the tablet nervously from Tony. Tony shrugged.

“Well, the PR events aren’t I’ll probably let you tag along to other cool stuff I do if you’re up to it. I’m tired of the PA’s they stick me with.” Tony threw an annoyed glance at Pepper since she was usually the one to choose them, always getting the defying ones. “Otherwise, most of your internship will still be in here.”

“That’s so cool,” Peter repeated to himself, scrolling through the tablet.

“You can put whatever you want on there, by the way,” Tony said, walking back to his desk. “Just try not to get it lost or broken, which means no letting other kids play with it.”

“Of course,” Peter stuttered.

“Tony,” Pepper exasperated. “You need permission to do all this. He’s a minor. You can’t just whisk him away to wherever you want him.” Tony held back a groan.

“It’s fine, Miss Potts! My aunt won’t mind,” Peter said shyly. Pepper gave him a sweet look.

“That’s great, but, for legal reasons, Tony needs permission to do things,” Pepper stressed the last part at Tony.

“Jesus, I’ll draw up a permission sheet. Is that what you want?” Tony relented. “You have anything to do after school kid?”

“Uh, depends on the day,” Peter blushed. “Well, actually, no. I don’t have as much since I started the Stark Internship.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Well, I quit some stuff so I would have time for this and other stuff…”

“Oh, Peter,” Pepper said guiltily. “You don’t have to stop your afterschool activities. Tony will meet you whenever.”

“Thanks for scheduling my time, Pep,” Tony said sarcastically, scrolling through Twitter on his phone.

“It’s not just the internship,” Peter said quickly. “I’ve got other things to do that would interfere. It’s really fine, Miss Potts. The internship is way cooler than robotics club, anyway.”

“Damn right,” Tony said, not looking up from his phone. “So just schedule it during Peter’s internship times.”

“I want to see the permission slip before you send it to his aunt,” Pepper said, making a note in her phone. Tony saluted her, making her roll her eyes fondly before she walked off. Tony closed out of twitter, clapping his hands together.

“Alright, young ward,” Tony said. “What can I have you do today?” He looked around the lab. “You see Dum-E over there?” Tony asked, pointing at the robot who turned when he heard his name, beeping excitedly. Peter’s eyes lit up, nodding enthusiastically. “I built him when I was about fifteen.”

“That’s so cool,” Peter said in awe, moving to look at the bot closer.

“Yeah, kind of. You’re, what, fourteen? I bet you can do better.” Peter’s head snapped to look at him, looking like a deer caught in headlines. Peter pointed dumbly at himself. “Yes, you,” Tony said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “I think you’re a secret genius.”

“I don’t know, Mr. Stark. I’ve never built anything like him before,” Peter said shyly.

“First, you’ve got to call me Tony,” Tony said. “Second, please don’t doubt yourself before you’ve even tried it. If it helps, get an ego like mine. That way, you can never fail.” Tony felt like he was setting himself for rejection here, but the kid looked like he had never had anyone encourage him before.

“Do people say that a lot?” Peter asked, looking over some of the tools Tony had laying around. “About your ego?”

“Probably. I do fail, though,” Tony said in a positive tone despite how dark he felt inside. Peter nodded to himself. “Use whatever you can see, even if it’s a garbage can. Just tell me if you use it so I can get another one.” Dum-E beeped from where he was, rolling over to aid Peter. “Dum-E will help if you want. If not, give him a menial task and he’ll take hours to do it.”

“Nah, he’s cool,” Peter said with a shy smile. Tony smiled back, turning back to his own work. It was on his suit, to Peter’s surprise and good luck. He thought about working on B.A.R.F., but he just wasn’t sure what else to do. He’d probably have to get in touch with another neurosurgeon and get over his trust issues if he really wanted to help Barnes, or else he was going to run out of time. He had a few ideas for his suit, but he was reluctant to start any large projects without any time to work on them in the near future.

Peter didn’t finish his bot before it was time for him to go home, which didn’t surprise Tony. What did surprise him was how close to done it looked. Tony wouldn’t be surprised if the kid only needed a few more hours to get the thing up and moving.

“Good job, kid,” Tony said, walking around the table that held the small bot. “Got any tasks for it?”

“Tasks?” Peter asked, looking a bit jittery as he stood next to the door with his backpack on.

“Yeah, you know. Tasks. Dum-E mostly cleans up, but he gets me stuff sometimes. U gets me stuff a lot. Butterfingers kind of just stands around looking pretty,” Tony explained, pointing to each bot. Peter smiled as Tony gave him the rundown.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe help you find things?” Tony nodded approvingly.

“Well, don’t let me keep you. Go do whatever Gen Z boys do,” Tony said, waving him out. “Oh and keep checking your email. I’ll be with my driver to pick you up after school for the first PR event.” Peter’s eyes went wide as he nodded enthusiastically.

“Bye, Mr. Stark!”

“Tony!” Tony called after the boy, shaking his head fondly. He sat around the lab for a few minutes before heading to the elevator. He didn’t want to invade Barnes’ privacy, but it was also his tower, so he walked in. Barnes wasn’t immediately in sight, so Tony figured he hadn’t interrupted anything. “Hey, Barnes!” Tony called out.

Tony walked towards the living room leisurely, relaxing a bit when he heard footsteps coming closer. Barnes must have just woken up, based on the disheveled hair and bitter expression. Tony gave him an extra bright smile.

“I didn’t know assassins took naps,” Tony teased, making himself comfortable on the couch. Barnes groaned lowly to himself, rubbing his eyes and plopping down in an armchair.

“Ex-assassins take plenty,” Barnes corrected, looking at Tony with that half-awake expression. “What did you want?”

“Can’t I visit my best pal, Buck?”

“It’s really sad if you consider me your best pal,” Barnes snorted. Tony scoffed.

“After all I’ve done for you.”

“I’m not saying you’re not by best pal by default, seeing as I have no other friends,” Barnes explained, adding the last part at Tony’s suggestive gaze. “But you should definitely have better friends than the man who murdered your parents.”

“Low blow, Buck,” Tony said nonchalantly, leaning back in his seat. “One day, I’m going to punch you. You’re never going to see it coming. It’s going to be for all the comments I let you get away with.” Barnes let out a low chuckle. “I have to do PR with your buddy.”

“Rogers?” Barnes asked. Tony nodded. “Sorry about it. Why are you telling me?”

“Because one of my best friends is making me do it, and the other is busy all the time,” Tony complained. “And I can’t fucking figure out what to do with B.A.R.F.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, it’s not working the way I hoped it would. It helps with traumatic memories, but it doesn’t stop you from being taken over. I need another specialist, but the last one I went to pretty much threatened me.” Barnes raised an eyebrow at that. “He was a wizard.”

“A wizard?”

“He used magic on me! What do you call that?”

“A magician,” Barnes answered, failing to hold back his laugh. Tony glared at him. “What did he do?”

“I was trying to find him, he showed up at my place, and he threw me against a wall, my own home, Buck,” Tony exasperated.

“Why don’t you find someone else?”

“Because,” Tony groaned. “Now that I know he’s a magician, I can’t help but feel like that would help.”

“So, contact him again.”

“I’ll pass. I’m not too keen on the magic thing.”

“I’ll aim a rifle at his head.”

“Pretty sure he could turn the rifle into moths if he wanted.” Barnes rolled his eyes

“Not if he doesn’t know I’m there.”

“You want to threaten a wizard into helping you,” Tony deadpanned. “He’s kind of an asshole, what if he just turns you in?” Barnes shrugged.

“Then I guess I face the consequences.” Tony narrowed his eyes are Barnes, and Barnes did the same in return.

“Well, I’ve got things to do before then,” Tony said nonchalantly. “If you knew how to use google, I’d tell you to go ahead and search for Strange yourself.”

“FRIDAY can help me,” Barnes said.

“You think you’re going to find this guy with FRIDAY when I couldn’t find him with FRIDAY?” Tony laughed.

“I’m an ex-assassin. It was my job a part of my job description to track people down.”

“Really? Because I thought H.Y.D.R.A. did all that work and then sent you after them.” Barnes flipped him off, making Tony snort. “Have at it then, Buck. Keep an eye out on YouTube if you want to see my pretty face over the next few days.”

* * *

“I don’t think we need to have a meeting for this,” Steve sighed as Tony walked into the room, ready to school his team on how interviews like these worked.

“Really? Because I’m pretty sure none of you have ever been interviewed like this unless it was in court,” Tony said in an obnoxiously friendly tone, winking at Natasha.

“We just answer some questions,” Steve argued.

“It’s a bit more complicated than that, Cap,” Wilson added reluctantly, uncomfortable to even have to correct Captain America. “These questions are more invasive. Anything you say, they will use. It’ll be on the internet forever.”

“I think I know how to answer some questions,” Steve asserted.

“Lighten up, Cap,” Tony said lightly. “You need to smile and pretend like you’re actually considering what they’re saying before you spew out whatever you want.”

“Tony, this is conversation is demeaning,” Natasha spoke up, her arms crossed while leaning back in her seat. “We’re not children you need to teach how to act in public.”

“They’re going to come after you the most,” Tony said, ignoring what she said and pointing at her. “You’re a woman. You wear form-fitting clothing and have seduction in your gaze. You don’t smile, so you hate men.”

“Hey!” Everyone seemed to complain about Tony’s deduction, glaring at him. Tony pursed his lips and shrugged.

“I’m just reading off this article,” Tony said, gesturing to his phone. “You’re also apparently dating Clint.”

“He’s married,” Steve stated the obvious.

“They don’t know that. You need to come up with a clever way to insinuate that you’re not dating your coworker while simultaneously not giving away that he’s in another relationship. You were the only woman on the team before Sabrina the teenage witch showed up, so you have to be prepared for the misogynistic questions.”

“I—”

“Without coming off as rude,” Tony warned. “It’s not fair. If you need tips, ask Pepper. She’s the nicest/meanest woman they know. She’s good at not coming off as bitter while not letting people degrade her. You can’t use your fists in this fight.”

“You’re being really pessimistic,” Steve said in a disappointed tone. Tony resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“I’m being realistic. I’ve done plenty of these in the past.”

“And now they hate you,” Natasha pointed out, a slight tug at her lips.

“Not always. Depends on which magazine and at which point in my life,” Tony said, thinking back to his pasts interviews. “If you read them, you notice I gave a lot of different answers that contradict each other.”

“Why would you do that?” Wilson asked.

“I didn’t want people to know about the real me. It kept them off the trail,” Tony said with a smirk. “Next order of business: no answering questions for each other.” Everyone frowned at him.

“Duh,” Wilson said.

“Don’t ‘duh’ me,” Tony said. He turned and looked at Steve. “You cannot answer for Wanda no matter how much it kills you to keep your mouth shut.”

“Okay…” Steve in an obvious tone.

“She’s a woman. She can’t have a man answering for her all the time. They’ll label her as submissive and someone who can’t think for herself.” Everyone looked upset at Tony’s explanation. “Don’t shoot the messenger. The poor little ‘I didn’t know they were H.Y.D.R.A.’ story isn’t going to work.”

“She didn’t know!’ Steve declared. Tony heaved a heavy sigh at the irony of the situation.

“What did I just say about not speaking for her?” Tony bit back. Steve at least had the decency to realize his mistake, earning shaking heads from Wilson and Natasha alike. “There is evidence about her working with Ultron. You have to come up with a better story than a change of heart.”

“And what are you going to say about Ultron?” Steve jabbed, crossing his arms. Tony felt this coming, so he sighed.

“The truth. Bruce and I were experimenting with something foreign—we can’t tell them it was the Mind Stone—when things went wrong and took over our dormant program.”

“Really, Tony?” Steve sneered. “You’re not even going to own up to it.”

“That is owning up to it, because that’s what happened,” Tony contended. “If anyone asks where Bruce is, we’ll say he’s temporarily out of commission.”

“You’re going to let him take the fall for it?” Natasha asked.

“Take the fall?” Tony scoffed. “How can he take the fall when I’m the one all over the news, and he doesn’t even have the decency to show his face?” Tony didn’t wait for anyone to respond, moving forward so he could leave sooner. “Wilson, you probably have it the easiest. You’re a clean slate fresh into Avengers initiative. If you’re asked how you were recruited, explain your position in the Air Force and how you helped fight against H.Y.D.R.A. Keep it vague.”

“Why?” Wilson asked, looking genuinely confused. “Why wouldn’t I just tell them about the exposure of S.H.I.E.LD.?”

“Because the exposure of S.H.I.E.L.D. led to a lot of on duty agents to be compromised, losing their intel or, in a few situations, their lives.” Steve, Natasha, and Wilson all looked alarmed at the last part.

“Their lives? Come on, Tony,” Steve started to complain, but Tony held his hand up.

“Yes, their lives. You exposed all of S.H.I.E.L.D. While Natasha may be okay because she’s an Avenger, a lot of other individuals were undercover and retired. They didn’t get a choice in having the secrets exposed.”

“It was necessary—” Steve started to explain.

“Whether it was or not, it doesn’t matter. Lives are ruined because of it, and some are going to want to know why you did it. You can’t just say, ‘because we needed to put an end to H.Y.D.R.A.’ You’re an adult, and that’s a child’s answer.”

“It’s the truth—”

“The truth is going to get you backlash!” Tony said in a desperate tone, wondering why Pepper ever thought this was a good idea. “The people aren’t going to want it! They’re going to want your explanation.”

“They don’t understand the split decisions we have to make!”

“No, maybe not, but they see the outcome,” Tony said seriously. “Do you think it matters when a cop kills another kid on the street ‘because they were scared?’ No. All that matters is that there was a grown man with a gun in his hand, and a kid who lost his life because of it.”

“So cops aren’t allowed to defend themselves now?” Steve asked in a smug tone, like he caught Tony in some kind of trap.

“Are you seriously asking me if I condone the murder of children?” Tony asked in the same tone, catching Steve between a rock and a hard place. If Rogers was going to play dirty, so could Tony.

“You know that’s not what I said.”

“Ditto,” Tony snarked. “People don’t want you to protect them if you can’t be more careful and care about the aftermath. It doesn’t matter how many lives you save if you have important ones you didn’t under your belt.”

“That’s not fair.”

“That’s life. If you can’t make better fast-paced decisions, then people aren’t going to want you to make them at all.”

“So you’re saying we shouldn’t have defeated H.Y.D.R.A.?”

“You didn’t, though, did you? You’re still going on missions every other day to try to shut down another base,” Tony laughed. “So no. You should not have.” Tony took a deep breath, rubbing a hand over his face to recompose himself. “So no, Wilson. Try not to explicitly mention your involvement with that.”

“Yeah…” Wilson said, trailing off.

“Work on what you’re going to say and remember to smile. I can’t save you if they start to eat you alive because of something you said,” Tony concluded. The tension was still high when Tony walked out of the room.

* * *

Peter was already waiting outside his school when Happy pulled up with Tony sitting in the back seat. He was talking with another guy adamantly about something, barely keeping his eye on the carpool lane.

“FRIDAY, do you have his number?” Tony asked, pulling out his phone.

“Yes, boss. Would you like me to give him a call?”

“Just tell him we’re in the black Audi to his left,” Tony said. He watched FRIDAY quickly type up the message and send it. Happy and Tony both watched at Peter pulled out his phone while still talking to his friend, both of the kids’ eyes going wide when they saw who the text was from. Simultaneously, they both looked over at the car Happy and Tony were in. With his sunglasses on, Tony rolled down the window slightly, looking at Peter and nodding his head in a way that said, ‘come on!’ Peter said something to his friend before making his way over, waving back at him before he got in the car.

“Oh, my god, Mr. Stark, this is incredible,” Peter said, looking around the car.

“Thanks, I guess,” Tony said. “Also, it’s Tony.”

“Hi Mr. Happy!” Peter said, leaning forward slightly to greet the driver. Happy made eye contact with Tony in the mirror, making Tony bark out a laugh. He didn’t usually get along with children or very excited people. Happy pulled out of the carpool lane to drive to their first location.

“Got your tablet?” Tony asked. Peter nodded eagerly, pulling it from his backpack. He opened it and looked over a couple of things.

“It looks like Mr. Rogers emailed you, saying that they’ve made it to the location. They’re asking where you are,” Peter said, dumbstruck by the fact that he was referring to the actual Captain America. Tony barely noticed since he was too busy trying to not roll his eyes at the fact that Rogers actually _emailed_ him.

“Ignore it. We’ll be there soon enough,” Tony muttered. Peter looked shocked at this reply but moved on.

“Miss Potts told you, ‘Good luck and behave,’” Peter informed him sheepishly. Tony snorted.

“She knows you’re in charge of my emails right now, right? Tell her you’re handling it,” Tony said, laughing at Peter’s expression. Peter stared at him a bit longer to see if he was serious before typing it in with an amused smile.

“You have quite a few emails from MIT about all sorts of different stuff,” Peter said, scrolling through the full inbox.

“Ignore them for now. I’ll deal with them after all this mess,” Tony mumbled. “Where do you want to go to school kid?”

“What?” Peter asked, alarmed by the change in subject.

“Where do you want to go to school? I’ve got pull at MIT.”

“I-I don’t…” Peter stuttered, gripping the tablet a bit tighter.

“You could become my official PA. That has a good but stressful career path according to Pepper,” Tony joked, taking the pressure off a bit. Tony gave Peter a similar set of sunglasses to the ones he wore when going to the grocery when they reached the building for the first interview. “Put your hood up.”

“Is it going to be weird that I’m wearing a hoodie and jeans?” Peter said, suddenly self-conscious of his attire.

“No. The only reason I’m not wearing sweatpants is because Pepper told me not to, since I’m on camera,” Tony pouted, making Peter’s lip twitch. “They’ll think you’re a poor college student I took pity on.”

“That’s good?”

“Sure,” Tony shrugged. “Plus, you’re walking with me. They have no right to question you.” Happy rolled his eyes, making Tony flip him off.

A couple producers introduced themselves to Tony when he walked in with Happy and Peter, barely sparing the other two a glance. Tony caught a look at the other members being interviewed. Their attire wasn’t terrible, making Tony a lot more relieved. They all looked at him when he got close enough, studying Peter as well. Peter, unsurprisingly, was starstruck.

“Who’s this?” Natasha asked.

“My intern,” Tony answered dully. “Peter.” Tony looked at him, to which he got a blank stare until Peter came back to reality. He stuck his hand out to Natasha first.

“Peter,” He stuttered his own name. “Nice to meet you.” Natasha didn’t say anything, just shaking Peter’s hand with that intimidating look she liked to wear. He did the same with the others as well.

“Since when did you get interns?” Steve asked, eyeing Peter suspiciously.

“Since Pepper assigned one to me,” Tony answered, forcing a smile.

“He looks young,” Natasha pointed out.

“Does he?” Tony pretended to study Peter with a frown. “Weird.”

“I don’t get it,” Steve said. “He just follows you around and does what you say?” Tony felt a lecture he didn’t want to hear coming on.

“He studies with me and follows me to important things like this for experience and high school slash college credits,” Tony explained monotonously.

“Important things like what?” Wanda spoke up, narrowing her eyes. Tony looked at Peter. Peter was taken back, not expecting to be referred to for the answer.

“Uh, I like engineering, so we’re working on robotics…” Peter answered, thinking of other things to say.

“Robotics?” Everyone seemed to repeat, giving Tony a suspicious look. Tony knew what they were trying to get at by looking at him like that, but he didn’t respond.

“Yeah, I’m making one that helps you find stuff,” Peter explained innocently, using a newfound prideful tone when he saw Tony’s encouraging expression. “Uh, this counts as communications apparently, which I’m bad at, so I could probably really use the credits.”

“Where do you go to school?” Natasha asked. Tony held his hand over Peter’s mouth without touching him.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Tony stopped Peter before he could talk. Tony had a good lockdown on Peter’s file, but that didn’t mean Natasha couldn’t find him through public records. Still, he wasn’t just going to give up Peter’s privacy without giving her a challenge. “No interrogating my intern.”

“Really, Tony?” Steve said in a critical tone. “Are you trying to hide something.”

“Peter’s private life from a spy, yes,” Tony said unregretfully. The rest of the Avengers shared a look that purposefully left Tony excluded, not that he really cared how included he was at this point in his relationships with these people. He just had to pretend to get along with them for the interview. “Anyway, I had Peter send you a list of potential questions. Did you look them over?”

“Yes,” Wanda mumbled, clearly nervous about doing any of this.

“A bit,” Wilson answered.

“No…” Steve said it like he didn’t even know there was a list.

“No,” Natasha said it smugly. Tony didn’t give her the time of day.

“Great. Let’s get started, then,” Tony sighed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter got a lot of enthusiasm, so I want to thank y'all!
> 
> Some explanation, to hopefully save some of you time: I have a lot of these chapters prewritten, and though I'll probably have a few to last me a while posting weekly, I've been very busy haven't been able to keep writing. With that said, if there's something about this current story you don't like, besides Team Cap, of course, then you're probably going to keep not liking it. I read the comments, of course, but they're usually pretty quick or when I finally have time to post another chapter, like now. Large changes aren't being made anytime soon.
> 
> That being said, many of you are still excited, so enjoy :)

“This next question is for Captain Rogers and Mr. Stark,” the interviewer said, looking down at her notes. They were lucky enough to get someone who was young and kind on their first interview, so the rest of the crew still had yet to get angered by anything. The interviewer was open-minded and pretty feminist, so a lot of time was spent making Natasha and Wanda look good. Tony was going to call it a win.

“Shoot,” Tony said.

“Right. Captain America, of course, is known as the first Avenger, having gotten his powers back in the 40s. However, a lot of people turn to you, Mr. Stark, when referring to the turn into the superhero era,” the interviewer said in a friendly tone. “How do you think that leader dynamic works between the two of you and the rest of the Avengers.” It was a very well-phrased question, so Tony tried not to give away his annoyance when he realized they were just trying to compare the two of them.

“Well, the leader role is something I had to become accustomed to when I became Captain America,” Steve started off. “For years, I was used to being pushed aside and disregarded for my conditions. Becoming a leader meant finally being able to do what was right with my influence.” The interviewer turned to Tony.

“Being a leader was something forced upon me when I was young,” Tony started off with a sigh. “Even before pops died, I was meeting people and shaking hands so they would recognize me as the next face of the company. Back then, being a leader was about making sure everything went as smoothly as possible, even if that meant dropping a few friendly faces off the charts.” Tony could tell how stiff the others were, even without looking at them. “After becoming Iron Man, it became about reassuring the public that I, and eventually we, would do everything to ensure their safety. First, that meant shutting down the weapons division. Next, it meant making sure someone else was around in case I was gone. Today, it’s about finding ways we can improve our goal of peace and welfare.”

“And together?” The interviewer asked, looking at some of the other Avengers as well.

“Together they create a dynamic that make sure all of our bases are covered,” Natasha answered, smiling after a while. Steve gives us an example of a classic leader to be marked in the history books. Tony’s version is innovative, constantly covering and saving us in ways we might have missed.”

“It sounds like a lovely team,” the interviewer said with a nice smile. “And finally, what do you think is the future for the Avengers team? We seem to be discovering new things every day, and it’s almost like aliens are old news at this point. How do you think things might change?”

“It starts with adding new members,” Natasha said, motioning to Wanda and Sam. “While our team is diverse in its skillset, there are a lot of areas we have to account for.”

“I imagine you guys felt like you were adding something valuable to the team when they officially invited you. Can you tell me a little about what you think that is?” Tony tried not to show his stress when he thought Steve was about to speak for both of them, seeing as he invited both of the new members in. Sam must have saw the same signs, because he cleared his throat before Steve could speak.

“As an Air Force veteran, I believe I come with a valuable skillset provided to me by the United States military,” Sam started off, appealing to patriotic viewers. “I also provide additional air support, which, although Iron Man does a great job, is needed due to the often, vast threats we have to handle.” The interviewer nodded encouragingly before turning to Wanda.

“As a mage,” she started off, making Tony thankful she used the suggested term so she wouldn’t be labeled to negatively. “I provide something that has yet to be seen on the Avengers team. I offer protection as well as offensive maneuvers on the battleground.”

“Alright, well, thank you, Avengers!” The interviewer said cheerfully. Tony was the first to stand up to shake her hand, making the others follow in suit. Tony walked over to Peter, who was giving him an enthusiastic thumbs up. Their first interview had gone live on YouTube, so Peter kept an active look at the comments as they rolled in.

“How are we doing?”

“Uh, pretty good. They wished the questions were more personal, but that’s aimed more at the interviewer than you guys,” Peter informed him, scrolling through the comments. “A lot thought you guys looked kind of stiff.”

“And what do you think?” Tony asked. Peter was taken back by the question.

“Uh…” he stalled, squinting at Tony like he was trying to decipher if this was a trick question. “Yeah, a bit, but it’s not _that_ noticeable.”

“Guess I’ll have to loosen it up a bit.”

“A lot were about you,” Peter said.

“What about?”

“They thought you were pretty quiet. A few are saying it’s because you don’t like the new members. Others are saying it’s because you do these things a lot and are letting the others talk since they’re new to this.”

“Not too bad,” Tony muttered to himself.

“Otherwise, most of the comments are pretty happy. I think people really like this sort of thing.”

“Yeah? Do you watch interviews, kid?” Peter shrugged.

“Some.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, celebrities are weird,” Peter said. His eyes widened and he shook his head at Tony. “Not that you’re weird. I just mean they come off different. Interviews make them seem, I don’t know, more down-to-earth?”

“Alright. Good job. Any other news?” Peter switched tabs for a second to check his messages. There were clearly a bunch, but Tony always had a bunch of people talking to him about stuff. He was glad that Peter was getting used to filtering stuff for him so quickly, marking things for later if they needed to be handled.

“Just Pepper telling you good job,” Peter answered.

“Cool, let’s roll.”

“Tony!” Tony turned to see Steve walking towards him. What could he want that they couldn’t address when they got to the next building? “Are you not riding with us?” Tony frowned.

“Uh, no. That’s what I have Happy for, and I have extra cargo,” Tony said, gesturing to Peter.

“I thought it might look better if we all showed up together,” Steve said. Tony didn’t find the thought of squishing into the car with the four of them plus himself and Peter too appealing.

“There’s no one who knows we’re coming besides those setting up the interview,” Tony deadpanned. “I made sure of that. They won’t even be outside to see what cars we come out of. You’re the lucky ones. You don’t have to sit in the car with a teen,” Tony teased. Peter’s face went a bright red at the realization that Tony was making fun of him to Captain America. Tony didn’t really give Steve time to respond since he was pulling Peter along towards their ride.

* * *

“We’re going to play a little game,” the interviewer said, this time a male probably in his early thirties. “How well do you know your teammates?” Tony gave a playful look to the others on the time, playing it up for the camera. “Specifically Mr. Rogers and Mr. Stark since they have the largest history, and we’re waiting for the two of you to build of your Avenger portfolio’s.” The interviewer motioned to Sam and Wanda. Natasha had bailed on this interview when the production realized they had prepared something for four of them and not five. She did, however, seem amused at the idea of them playing a game about knowing each other. It was probably best that she saw out since she’d studied them all before.

A couple of whiteboards were brought to them, each of them getting their own dry-erase marker. They paired up Sam and Tony versus Steve and Wanda

“So we have one board. Right, so, I’m going to ask a question. The opposing team is going to try to guess the answer about the person on the other team.”

“Alrighty,” Tony said, putting ‘Team Stark’ at the top of his and Sam’s board. Sam snorted, erasing the name and taking the board from Tony. He wrote ‘Team Air Support’ instead. Steve and Wanda waited for them to finish, neglecting to put their own name.

“First up, what country is Wanda native too?” Sam snorted.

“Too easy,” Sam muttered, writing Sovokia on the board in large letters. Tony snorted at the comically large letters.

“Let’s see the board.” Sam held it up, giving a smug smile to the camera. Wanda was already nodding.

“That is correct!” The interviewer said. “Next, for Captain America. One of your close friends, Howard Stark, is the father to Tony, of course. However, Tony has a mother from another country. Tony is half what?” Sam laughed, rubbing his hands together at the looks on Steve’s and Wanda’s expression. The two whispered to themselves. “Let’s see the board.”

They turned it over, making Sam snort obnoxiously when he saw they had written ‘French.’ Sam clearly had a competitive nature to him, making Tony laugh as well.

“That is incorrect. Sam, you’re on his team in this game. Do you know?”

“I thought it was obvious,” Sam said smugly, making Tony roll his eyes teasingly. “He’s Italian.”

“How is that obvious?” Tony asked, squinting at his teammate. Sam shrugged, gesturing to his own hair and this his beard. “My face?”

“Can you speak Italian?” Sam deadpanned.

“Sì, posso parlare Italiano,” Tony said while laughing. “hai ragione.”

“I don’t know what you just said, but I’m obviously amazing at this game,” Sam said. Steve laughed fondly at his friend, despite the fact that he had gotten the question wrong.

“Next up: Team Air Support, can you name five of the numerous illnesses that Captain America had before the serum,” the interviewer asked, laughing at Sam’s glare.

“He was definitely diabetic,” Sam said confidently, dramatically going to write it down. Tony laughed and pulled the board from his hands. “Put that down.”

“I will not,” Tony said, writing down ‘asthma’ for the first one.

“Okay, that one was obvious,” Sam snarked playfully. Tony put down ‘astigmatism’ next. “Look at Stark with the fancy words.”

“Do you wanna contribute?” Tony said, laughing at Sam’s sheepish face.

“Probably, like, bad teeth or something.” The a few of the producers threw their head laughing back along with Tony. “But definitely, uh, high blood pressure.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tony said, putting it down.

“Twenty seconds,” the interviewer warned him. Tony quickly wrote down ‘partial deafness’ and ‘scoliosis’ to finish off the list, showing the board before he was even asked. “Those are all correct!” Even Steve looked surprised that Tony knew more than Sam. “Alright, Steve and Wanda, which part of the Air Force was Sam a part of?” Almost immediately, Steve was showing them a board with ‘pararescue’ written on it. The interviewer approved their answer before moving on, “Can you name Steve Rogers’ best friend before he went under the ice?” Tony had to stop himself from snorting, telling Sam that it was ‘James Barnes’ not ‘John Barnes.’

Tony made eye contact with Peter, who was off camera giving him an enthusiastic smile with a thumbs off. He was mouthing something, but Tony couldn’t make out what it was. He was probably just excited about what people were saying.

“Final question: How long was Tony kept captive in Afghanistan?” It was a pre-approved question, so Tony wasn’t surprised when they asked him if they could quiz the others on it. Wanda looked confused even at the name ‘Afghanistan,’ and Tony was realizing that she probably didn’t look up all those details when plotting his death. Steve had a serious expression on his face, whispering with Wanda for a few seconds before revealing the board that read ‘two weeks.’ “I’m sorry, that is incorrect,” the interviewer said, sucking air in through his teeth.

“Really?” Steve said, a bit shocked.

“You weren’t around when it happened, but it happened in 2008 where Tony was kept in captivity for three months.” Steve and Wanda’s eyes widened at this answer, clearly never having read or heard the full details about how he actually became Iron Man. “That’s all of our question. I’m sorry, Steve and Wanda, but it looks like Team Air Support has won.” Tony and Sam high fived without looking at each other. Tony walked towards Peter again when the interview ended, ready to see an explanation for the large smile on Peter’s face.

“I thought this one wasn’t live?” Tony asked.

“Not on their camera, but someone else was livestreaming it on Instagram,” Peter said, showing Tony the comments.

“Oh, great, leakers. What’s the news?”

“You’re a lot friendlier in this one,” Peter said, reading some of the comments. “You’re smiling and laughing more. A lot of people love the dynamic you and Mr. Wilson have.”

“Nice,” Tony said, taking a drink of water.

“Uh, not looking so good for Captain Rogers,” Peter said sheepishly. Steve wasn’t even nearby to hear what he was saying.

“What’s that mean?”

“Well, people were playing along in the comments, and a lot of people knew you were in Afghanistan for three months,” Peter explained. “Everyone was shocked when Mr. Rogers answered it wrong, especially with such a short time period.”

“Of course he doesn’t know,” Tony said to himself, rolling his eyes at the entire encounter. “Probably never bothered to look up any true facts about me.” Peter didn’t know how to respond to that, so he just kept looking at the comments.

“They want to see more interviews with you and Mr. Wilson more than anyone else.”

“What else are they saying about me?” Sam said, interrupting their conversation. “How smooth I am?” Sam teased, rubbing his goatee. Tony rolled his eyes while Peter blushed at celebrity attention.

“They think you’re funny?” Peter offered, saying it like a question. Sam nodded.

“I’ll take that.”

* * *

“First, I want to thank the Avengers team for joining us today,” their last interviewer said to the camera, an older man who had probably been in the journalism business for a while. “Today is the first time anybody has gotten to do something like this for you guys, so we are honored to have you here.”

“Honored to be here,” Tony answered.

“But we’re not the only ones who are glad you are here. Today, we’re giving you fan questions to answer.”

“Fun,” Tony said with a smile, rubbing his hands together. Sam joined in on the fun, cracking his knuckles.

“Let’s do this,” Sam said seriously, making the interviewer smile.

“Who is the strongest Avenger?” He asked.

“The Hulk,” Tony said immediately.

“Falcon,” Sam answered after a beat, making Natasha snort and Steve laugh at his friend’s antics.

“Yeah, the Hulk,” Natasha agreed, making Sam give her a fake hurt look.

“Got anything to say about that, Cap?” The interviewer said with a teasing smile. Steve just shrugged and shook his head with a smile. “Okay then, next question: who is the nicest Avenger?” Another superlative question.

“Probably Cap,” Wanda answered with a smile. Tony didn’t respond, knowing she was saying that because she got a free pass onto the Avengers team.

“I agree,” Natasha said smoothly. Steve just smiled and shrugged, taking the compliments.

“Not to betray my number one, but I’m going to have to go with Tony here,” Sam said, clapping a hand onto Tony’s shoulders. “He buys me burgers.”

“Gee, thanks,” Tony said, squinting at the camera.

“He also keeps an eye out for Redwing, which I respect,” Sam said, looking directly at the camera. “He definitely does the most outside of the Avengers work, so I have to give him props.” Sam turned to look at Tony. Tony shrugged.

“Vision,” Tony said. They all groaned when they realized they missed the obvious answer.

“Who is the smartest Avenger?” The interviewer asked with a mischievous smile. The others seemed to contemplate it for a few moments.

“I personally think Natasha has the largest skillset out of all of us,” Steve said, gesturing to the redhead smiling beside him. “She an expert in her field along with being a large asset to the team.”

“I’d say Vision,” Wanda answered after some contemplation. “He knows pretty much everything. If he doesn’t, he’ll figure it out as fast as he can.”

“It’s going to have to be Vision,” Natasha agreed. “He’s basically a computer.” Tony didn’t know if she meant to be insulting with that one, but Tony couldn’t help but feel insulted on Vision’s behalf.

“Uh, it’s going to have to be Stark again for me,” Sam said, like it was obvious. “We have yet to see anyone else come up with an ironman suit or catch up to the type of technology he is spewing out on a daily basis. He went to college at, what, fifteen? Final answer.” Tony was pretty silent throughout all of this, only thinking to respond when they all looked towards him.

“Huh? Oh, Bruce. He has seven Ph.D.’s. No question.”

Peter was too distracted by the comments when they he came off set. Tony snapped to get his attention, making Peter’s head snap up.

“Oh, Mr. Stark,” Peter said.

“I don’t like that tone,” Tony cringed. “How bad is it?”

“It’s not…well…” Peter said. Tony groaned.

“Just lay it on me.”

“It’s more about how the other Avengers were answering,” Peter said in a confused tone. He looked away from the tablet. “I was a bit confused too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you make all of their gear?” Peter asked. Tony thought back to some of the equipment he had prepared for Natasha and Clint when he was still around.

“A bit.”

“Well, that obviously makes you the smartest Avenger,” Peter said like a fanboy. “And the armor! It’s so cool. None of the others made their superpower!”

“I think that would make me the richest,” Tony deadpanned, running a hand over his face.

“It’s not just that. It’s also how the others seemed to completely disregard you,” Peter explained. “Except Sam. You’re still doing good with that.”

“Great, me and Sam have a bromance. Go on.”

“They didn’t answer you for any of the superlatives except for ‘who’s most likely to get in an argument?’”

“They weren’t wrong,” Tony said. Peter frowned at his mentor.

“Maybe not, but it was the only negative one, and they answered you for it,” Peter pointed out. “I think your ratings are going up, but the Avengers’ isn’t.”

“Shit,” Tony muttered.

“Is that bad?”

“It was kind of on my list of objectives to complete,” Tony muttered. “Pepper will be happy by my ratings at least.

“Is it always like this, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked, looking sheepishly at his shoes.

“What?”

“The whole…Avengers dynamic. You guys don’t seem that close.” Tony was silent for a moment, and then he shrugged.

“We’re coworkers. We get along fine enough to do the job. Take notes, intern, not all adults become friends.”

“I get that. It’s, just, they seem to like each other more than they like you,” Peter said, immediately looking like he regretted it. Tony forced a smile.

“That’s just how the world works kid.”

“Is this about Ultron?”

“Partially.”

“But you explained how the program was dormant.”

“Correct.” Peter frowned.

“So why are they still angry about it.”

“People always need someone to blame, kid,” Tony said, thinking about Barnes, probably laughing at the interviews in his apartment.

“Why don’t they blame Ultron?” Peter asked. Tony couldn’t help but laugh.

“Kid, only people like you and me see people like Ultron as sentient. He looks more like a weapon. Peter rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, but that’s not how it works.” Tony laughed, ruffling Peter’s hair. The kid looked dumbfounded at the gesture. He wondered if people would look at Barnes the same way, as the weapon and not the killer.

“No, it’s not. That’s why we’re doing press.”

* * *

“How did we do?” Natasha asked with a smug grin. Tony just sighed while scrolling through twitter to see some of the aftermath of the live interviews.

“I don’t know. I guess you’ll see when the videos go up,” Tony answered dully.

“You didn’t disapprove any of our answers.”

“My advice was to help you guys from making fools of yourselves or worsening the Avenger image,” Tony explained. “You’re not doing it to gain my approval. You’re doing it so the public will receive you better.”

“I still don’t see why the public needs to receive us better,” Wanda muttered bitterly. “We save their lives.”

“You ever watch the Incredibles?” Tony said, making Steve and Natasha groan at his pop culture reference. “Some people just don’t want to be saved.”

“So you just want us to let people die?” Steve asked bluntly.

“It would be nice to make them want your help,” Tony said with a forced smile. He turned towards Peter for a moment. “Go give Happy your address, kid. We’re dropping you off first.” Peter looked dumbfounded for a second before he nodded and ran off. “But, it’s fine. You guys did fine.”

“You coming to our next team dinner?” Steve asked. If he was being honest, Tony was surprised Steve was even inviting him. It was probably an attempt to keep the friendly façade up. Tony nodded absentmindedly.

“I gotta go. Can’t keep Happy or the kid waiting,” Tony said, waving slightly to everyone as he walked out. Tony got into the car next Peter. “How was your first day of communications work?”

“Oh, my god, Mr. Stark, it was so cool. My friend, Ned, is going to be so jealous, even more jealous than when we work on the robotics stuff. Ugh, I have to get him an autograph or something or he’ll never forgive me!” Tony chuckled as Peter continue to explained everything he loved about today to himself and Happy, pulling out his phone after a while.

He had a text from Barnes, ‘I found Strange.’ Tony looked up for a second, glad to see that Peter was talking more to Happy now since Happy made the mistake of asking a question. Tony sunk back into his seat a bit, reading the next message. ‘Also, you looked old in the first interview.’ Tony snorted and typed out a reply.

‘Asshole.’


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Strange is still an asshole and still has a long way to go, so here we go again.  
> I meant to post this yesterday, but honestly there's not enough time in the day.

“Where is that?” Tony said, looking over Barnes’ shoulder.

“In New York,” Barnes said, giving Tony a smug look. Tony rolled his eyes and leaned back.

“Don’t look at me like that. I practically paved the path for you when I told you he was a magician.”

“Yeah, and I did the rest of the work,” Barnes said.

“FRIDAY did the rest of the work,” Tony corrected. “You essentially did nothing, Buck.”

“Yeah, well, here I am showing you the results,” Barnes said, leaning back in the desk chair.

“Here to reap all the benefits,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. “Well, have at it then.”

“What?” Barnes turned to look at him. “Aren’t you coming?”

“Uh, hell no,” Tony said, walking towards Barnes’ living room. “He’s a magician, and I don’t do well with magic.”

“Traumatic card trick when you were a kid?” Barnes said dully. Tony glared at his smirk. “You have another one on your team.”

“Yeah! I didn’t want her there!” Tony said defensively, plopping down on the couch and turning on the TV. He didn’t watch TV much, so he figured he’d just watch whatever Barnes was watching last, which was the Food Network. “You need a Netflix account.”

“Why is she on the team then?”

“I thought you watched the interviews,” Tony teased. “They clearly don’t care what I want or think.”

“Wilson did,” Barnes said with a shrug. Tony couldn’t help but think the two of them would get along well.

“Wilson didn’t really have a vote since he came after. I’m being outnumbered. I need to get my own recruits.”

“So do that,” Barnes said, sitting in his armchair. Grabbing the remote. Tony watched as his metal arm moved to grab it and his fingers move to hit the desired buttons. He did it so effortlessly, Tony couldn’t help but appreciate the work.

“No one else really likes me either, so…” Tony trailed off. “How does your arm feel?”

“My arm?” Tony nodded towards his metal one. “Really, Stark.”

“What? It’s cool. Can I touch it?” Barnes moved his arm away defensively.

“No,” he said bluntly.

“I can make a better one.”

“Good for you.”

“It would be lighter.”

“Cool.”

“Why are you so defensive. Haven’t I been trying to help you this entire time?” Tony whined. Barnes side-eyed him. “Fine. Tell me how your trip to the circus goes.”

“You’re coming with me.”

“I already told you no.”

“I’m not going to let him use magic tricks on you,” Barnes asserted.

“How? Do you have your own tricks up your sleeve? Because I’m pretty sure he could make you disappear.”

“I have intimidation tactics.”

“You didn’t meet the guy,” Tony scoffed. “People think _I_ have an ego. This guy acted like he was an immovable wall.”

“I convinced you to help me.”

“I convinced me to help you,” Tony corrected with a laugh.

“What exactly does this magician do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why is he a wizard?” Barnes asked like it was obvious. “Why do they have an entire building dedicated to what they do?” Tony shrugged. “Maybe he can help you with the Wanda problem.”

“Explain.”

“They look like professionals—”

“You got that from a google search.” Barnes snorted and help up his arms.

“They’re on the internet! I don’t know what to tell you. They’re clearly not savages,” Barnes explained. Tony sighed. “Maybe they’re the magic police.”

“You want them to arrest Wanda?” Tony asked. “She doesn’t have the same type of magic. Hers were given to her unnaturally.”

“Maybe they have a problem with that.” Tony snorted.

“You’re dark, Buck,” Tony laughed. “I see what you’re doing. Enemy of my enemy type stuff. Why wouldn’t he have gone after her already?”

“She’s a public figure now,” Barnes explained. “You have to be more discreet with your methods when their name and face is everywhere.”

“Spoken like a true assassin,” Tony drawled. “Right, I get it, but you realize we’re going to him making a bunch of demands. Help us with your mind even though you’re an ex-assassin and help us with this witch on the Avengers team who uses her power to invade people’s mind.”

“You’re a billionaire. Offer some sponsorship,” Barnes jabbed, laughing at Tony’s unamused expression.

“I don’t think magicians need money. They just pull food magically out of their asses,” Tony grumbled.

“You don’t know that. We could blackmail them.”

“With what?”

“Their entire organization. It’s secret.”

“You found it on the internet.”

“FRIDAY found their base on the internet based on individuals like Strange who are seen around the area and have similar backgrounds of disappearing. There could be no one there.”

“That would have been nice to know before you decided to throw all your eggs in like you hit the jackpot,” Tony said, throwing a hand up in frustration. “If we can find them, others can as well. They aren’t trying _that_ hard to stay underground.”

“I think they are,” he said with a half-smile. “Anyone I found that I suspected to be associated is dead or missing.”

“Ominous but doesn’t prove anything,” Tony sighed.

“Doesn’t matter. We know who they are, so we’re going to see them.”

“If I die, I can’t help you with your triggers,” Tony said in a defeated tone. Barnes ignored him as he walked towards his room, presumably to get ready. “What are you doing? You have, like, five shirts.” When Barnes emerges with an assault rifle, Tony just blinked. It was only just now occurring to him how much the aftermath of Ultron must have affected him if this sight was one he wasn’t surprised by. “How?”

“Illegally,” Barnes confirmed with a mocking smile.

“You’re going to get me arrested.”

“Yes, this weapon will be the thing that tips them over the edge, not harboring a fugitive,” Barnes drawled.

“You’re sassy when you’re not brainwashed,” Tony muttered. “I hope you know how to use a GPS.”

* * *

Tony and Barnes stood in front of what they suspected to be the sanctum for the magicians. Tony knew they probably had their own term, but magicians was sticking with him. Barnes blended in pretty well, looking like a millennial tourists with a New York baseball cap with his bun peeking out. Tony probably wasn’t as discreet in his sunglasses and hat, but he rarely tried as hard anymore to not be seen in public. He did, however, put on a pair of sweatpants.

Barnes glanced over at Tony before knocking on the door. Tony stood closer to the street, still very skeptical about the entire situation. Barnes threw a look over his shoulder when no one answered. Tony shrugged in response, pointing his thumb over his shoulder with a smile. Barnes rolled his eyes and knocked again, this time a little harder. They both waited. Tony was ready to walk off when he felt a sense of dread build up, but he heard an unfamiliar sound. He looked down to see a familiar orange color and felt his stomach drop.

“Barnes!” Tony barely managed to yell out before he was dropping. Barnes had turned around and made eye contact with him for less than a second before Tony was out of sight.

“Shit,” Barnes cursed, running towards where Tony had disappeared from. “Fucking magicians…”

“Sergeant Barnes,” a voice called out. Barnes turned around to scowl at whoever was at the door. It was a tall man with a foreign attire on, gray hair at his temples, and facial hair similar to Tony’s. The man stepped out of the doorway and nodded for Barnes to enter.

“Where’s Tony?” Barnes growled, his hand going towards the smaller handgun Tony convinced him to bring. He tapped on his holster only to find that it wasn’t there. He looked back at the wizard, who was grinning smugly.

“I’ve already warned Stark to stay away from me and my comrades, yet he continues to pursue me, even getting you involved.”

“He did it because of me,” Barnes corrected. He walked closer, ready to pin Strange to the wall, but he found himself tripping over something that wasn’t there. He fell into one of Strange’s portals and landed on the floor twenty feet away. Barnes growled to himself, reaching for whatever was closest to him, some sort of weird artifact, and throwing it at him. Strange easily dodged it, giving Barnes an unimpressed look. “Bring him back, asshole.”

“Why are you here?” Strange asked curiously, walking around Barnes and dodging objects. “You were hiding out outside of the States, correct. It doesn’t seem the type of thing that you’d do to come back and expose yourself.”

“Bring Tony back, and I may tell you,” Barnes yelled as he was portaled farther away.

“You’re a threat, you know. Not a threat on as large of a scale I usually deal with, but a threat nonetheless,” Strange informed him.

“That’s why Tony was coming to you, smartass,” Barnes said, picking up a long object resembling a bat. Strange raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Because it seems like you two are best friends.” Strange dodged out of the way when Barnes came towards him, using another portal.

“You coward. Fight—”

“Like a man?” Strange answered, sighing thoughtfully. “What did he want?”

“Why don’t you bring him back and ask yourself?” Barnes said, eyeing Strange as the man started walking again. Strange gave him another apathetic look, so Barnes sighed. “He’s trying to remove the triggers that H.Y.D.R.A. put in my head,” Barnes admitted, figuring Strange probably already knew his history.

“And he wanted me to do it?” Strange assumed, snorting. “A magic cure-all?”

“He wanted a master in the field of neuroscience to help him with his B.A.R.F. technology,” Barnes sneered. Strange looked impressed for a second. “But you’re a shady fella who apparently attacks people without warrant!”

“Without warrant? You’re an assassin.”

“Ex, and Tony didn’t do anything. Bring him back.” Strange studied Barnes for a moment before looking skyward. Barnes flinched back for a second, recognizing the hand motion Strange was making, when a portal opened. Tony dropped out of it, landing heavily on the ground. “Hey!” Barnes said, running towards Tony. He flipped Tony over to his back, finding him to be breathing but unconscious. “I thought doctors weren’t supposed to hurt people.”

“He’ll be fine,” Strange waved off. “The drop he sustained was not enough to severely damage him.”

“Yeah, besides the fact that he hates magic,” Barnes muttered, trying to shake Tony awake. “Are all of you guys this dickish, or is it just you?” Strange gave him a deadpan look.

“You’re implying that Stark has come across magic before. Are you referring to Loki?”

“Don’t know who you’re talking about. I’m talking about the witch,” Barnes said, standing up.

“The one on the Avengers?”

“Yes. You obviously know about her. Why hasn’t your clan done anything about it?”

“It is to my understanding that she was approved by Stark’s team,” Strange answered. “Earth’s mightiest heroes,” he teased.

“Well, she wasn’t approved by Tony. She hasn’t received any training and refuses to do so. No one else if forcing her to.” Strange nodded, taking in the information with a intrigued look.

“What can she do?” Barnes shrugged. “You came here for my help, but you don’t know the extent of her powers.”

“I don’t. Tony does,” Barnes answered, forcing a smile on his face. Strange gave him an aggravated look before Barnes found himself sitting in an armchair. He gripped the sides in panic before he saw Tony sitting across from him, Strange doing some strange hand movement. Tony jerked awake, his hand coming up to his chest.

“Holy shit,” Tony said. Barnes figured that was an appropriate reaction to everything that happened, but Tony’s breathing continued to get fast despite the fact that he was clenching his eyes closed to control it.

“Hey, Tony?” Barnes called out. Strange scrutinized Tony for a moment, turning towards Barnes.

“Keep speaking to him.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

“Because he’d find more comfort in your voice than mine,” Strange answered dully. Barnes scowled at him.

“Hey, Tony. You’re okay. We made it to the magician’s place—” Barnes ignored the irritated look Strange gave him, “It isn’t as neat as it looks. But he said he would help with Wanda.”

“He what?” Tony said, breathing sharply and looking up at Strange. Strange was looking over at Barnes.

“Did I?”

“You did,” Barnes asserted with a smile.

“What about you?” Tony asked, looking at Barnes with a concerned expression. “We’re here for his triggers, not Wanda.”

“I’m mostly interested in Wanda Maximoff’s abilities,” Strange said with a shrug. Tony’s frowned at him, his breathing getting back to normal. “I already told you I am no longer a neurosurgeon.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you got a degree,” Tony pointed out. “I just need some professional advice.”

“Why are you helping him?”

“Why not?”

“He doesn’t have a good track record,” Strange answered with a slight shrug.

“I’ll have you know, you’re looking at sergeant Barnes of the 108th—”

“107th,” Barnes corrected.

“107th infantry,” Tony said. “He wasn’t always the Winter Soldier. I’m trying to help him become James Barnes again.”

“What do you get out of it?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tony asked in an affronted tone. “You don’t know anything about me. I don’t get anything out if it.”

“I find that really hard to believe,” Strange scoffed.

“You don’t have to believe it,” Barnes interrupted. “Can you help us or not?” They were both waiting for Strange to list his requests in exchange for his services, but he just scrutinized the two of them.

“I will meet you on my time,” Strange eventually said, making Tony let out a relieved sigh. “One meeting only to see what I can contribute to your device. After that, do not contact me.”

“Trust me, it wasn’t my idea to do so,” Tony muttered.

“I’ll look into Maximoff myself. If it concerns you, I will contact you. Are we clear?”

“I want my gun back,” Barnes stated.

“Can I see your permit?” Strange asked innocently, making Barnes narrow his eyes.

“You’re telling me you guys operate under jurisdiction here?” Barnes asked, motioning around him.

“Of course. We’re sorcerers, not savages,” Strange said, showing them the door. When they exited the sanctum, Barnes turned towards Tony.

“Are you alright?” Barnes said, taking in Tony’s shaken expression.

“I told you that I don’t like magic,” Tony muttered, giving an exaggerated chill to lighten the mood. Barnes could still tell he was affected by it.

“Sorry about that. If it makes you feel better, I would have shot him if I had my gun.” Tony snorted and nodded. “Do you think this will help?”

“It better,” Tony muttered. “At least one out of two.”

“One out of two?”

“You or Maximoff.” Barnes gave him a blank look. “What? I’d love to kill two birds with one stone, but I have to be practical. You were the one going on about turning yourself in. Why are you looking offended now?”

“You and Strange are kind of similar.”

“We are not!” Tony argued, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“You even look alike.” Tony scoffed.

“My facial hair is iconic. He probably copied off of me.”

“You both like to be the smartest person in the room.”

“At any given time, I’m most likely to be the smartest person in the room,” Tony said. “I miss when you were sulky and couldn’t look me in the eye.”

“Progress, Stark. Progress.”

* * *

Tony was a bit over the team dinners, though he was a bit less anxiety-ridden since he now on good terms with Sam. Despite the man being recruited by Steve and being a huge fan of Captain America, he was pretty cool. It felt like such a high school thing to say, but Tony didn’t have a normal high school experience.

As a result of some of the interviews, Steve and Wanda seemed to be closer. He was her number one defender after all. Steve had the nerve to email Tony with some complaints on how commenters were responding to her. It should not have taken that long to explain why Tony couldn’t just request FRIDAY to delete every negative comment about them on the internet.

Vision congratulated them on their seemingly successful small press tour around New York. To celebrate, he baked a casserole. Natasha had asked if Tony was going to invite his intern, and he just laughed in response.

“I don’t understand why they’re upset,” Steve said over dinner.

“What are you particularly referring to, Captain Rogers?” Vision asked courteously.

“The interview with the questions. They were all mad at our answers. I don’t understand. Aren’t they subjective?”

“From what I can tell, it seemed to them like you neglected to acknowledge Mr. Stark’s contributions to the team,” Vision explained calmly. This caused a slight rise in commotion from Steve, Natasha, and Wanda. Tony pointedly said nothing.

“Stark?” Wanda sneered. “Seriously? How?”

“Vision, what do you mean by that?” Natasha asked emotionlessly.

“You came off with a certain kind of ignorance when you didn’t answer Tony for any of the positive questions.”

“What, are we supposed to praise the ground Stark walks on to make him happy?” Wanda said bitterly, looking down at the table. Vision sighed, looking like he was considering an even more unbiased way to explain.

“You guys did kind of ignore his presence,” Sam said like he was regretting it. “You didn’t know he was in Afghanistan for three months.”

“I wasn’t here when that happened!” Steve said defensively.

“Tony wasn’t even born when you had all your illnesses,” Sam argued back. Steve looked affronted.

“Yeah, but I’m a…”

“Celebrity?” Sam tried out. “Tony’s probably top ten on the planet.”

“Historical figure,” Natasha responded for Steve.

“How do you guys not know about his captivity?” Sam asked in disbelief, pointing at Tony who was leaning back discreetly in his chair. “Do you even know how he became Iron Man?”

“He built his suit,” Steve laughed like it was obvious. “He didn’t earn it. He didn’t work for it. He built it in his mansion.”

“After he profited off weapons to do so,” Wanda added. Natasha was noticeably quiet. Sam turned to Tony, not believing what he was hearing. It took everything in Tony to not say, ‘Hey, man, they’re your friends.’

“Actually, my father sold weapons,” Tony started after getting looks from Vision and Sam to say something. “You know, the friend you knew in the war. He taught me everything I know,” Tony said with a shit-eating grin.

“What are you talking about?” Steve asked.

“Did you just think I randomly turned Stark Industries into a weapons business on my own?”

“You still reaped the benefits.”

“Yeah, after my dear old father raised me to do so. It’s hard to let go of nurturing. You’d know all about that, right, Cap?” Tony looked at Steve. “After all, you came from the 40s, had to get used to the changing of times right?” Steve looked disgruntled at this.

“Still working some stuff out,” Sam said with a nervous laugh, giving Steve an encouraging smile.

“Anyway,” Tony said, bringing the attention back to his, “I was giving a weapons presentation when I was, ironically, in the hit zone for one of my own bombs. That’s how I got shrapnel in my chest, by the way.” Steve and Wanda looked confused, making Natasha sigh. “You know, the shrapnel in my chest I got removed a couple of years ago?” Their expressions didn’t change. “I was taken, and they operated on me, without anesthetic by the way, so that they could put an electromagnet in my chest. This way I would live long enough to build them the weapon I demonstrated.”

“Tony,” Steve said, letting his head fall into hands like he already knew the ending to the story. Tony rolled his eyes and continue.

“I built a miniaturized arc reactor, first of its kind. Then, I built Mark I of the Iron Man armor and escaped after three months,” Tony finished quickly with a smile.

“You didn’t make the weapon?” Steve asked.

“Of course I didn’t make the weapon,” Tony scoffed. “Why would I make the weapon?”

“You done more for less,” Steve accused.

“Have not!”

“So you’re going to pretend like you didn’t live a very comfortable life by sacrificing the lives of others?” Steve accused him.

“I did it for _America_ , Captain America,” Tony stressed. “And I stopped once I saw what it did. You’re one to talk about sacrificing the lives of others.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Despite being told no, you cannot join the armed forces since you’re a liability, you kept trying anyway.”

“And look where I am because of it,” Steve sneered.

“You’re here because one man decided that you were good enough,” Tony said a bit softer, surprising everyone with his tone. “Now you continue to be that one man everyone seeks approval from.”

“Because I earned it.”

“You didn’t earn anything,” Tony seethed. “Not knowing how to pick your own fights isn’t persistent, its stubbornness. Ignoring others because you think you’re doing the right thing isn’t courageous, it’s arrogant. Someone gave that power to you. The rest of us are still working to earn it.”

“That’s what you’re getting at, huh?” Steve said. “Power. You’re jealous because you’re not as powerful?” Tony laughed.

“You haven’t even seen power, Rogers,” Tony said. “One day, you might when you go up against the wrong people.” Tony stood up, tossing his napkin down on the table. “Next time you want to pick a fight about me and Iron Man, remember that he is nothing without me. I created him. What were you going to do if they gave the serum to someone else?”

“You really think you’re something else, don’t you?” Steve stood up besides everyone else’s protests. “You’re willing to point out everyone else’s flaws—”

“Why not? You’re always pointing out mine,” Tony mumbled.

“—So you can come out on top looking blameless?”

“Blameless,” Tony laughed. He could see Natasha facepalming, absolutely restless because of Steve’s argument. “Really? I’m the one who’s constantly been making press conferences to save your ass. It was Stark Industries that arranged for this ‘press tour’ to connect to the people, and you want to call me blameless? Like I’m not constantly taking responsibility for my actions?”

“Covering everything up with money isn’t taking responsibility,” Steve said sternly.

“Then what is? Is it what you do? Tell everyone that ‘you can’t save everyone?’ Is that what you’re going to tell the families of people we couldn’t save in Sokovia? Is that what you’re going to tell the families still grieving after the Battle of New York? ‘I’m sorry for your loss, but we saved a lot of others, so sorry, ma’am,’” Tony said sarcastically. “You don’t even acknowledge when you’ve done something wrong. The only thing you take responsibility for is taking down obstacles in your way.”

“Is shoving money in everyone’s faces what you’re going to do after Ultron?” Steve mentioned darkly. Sam winced from his seat.

“You know what? Yeah, because people need it,” Tony said bluntly, ignoring Steve’s scoffs. “They aren’t getting any better while you sit on your ass telling them that you did you best, so I’m going to take responsibility by helping to clean up the mess, like I always do.”

“You’re never going to change, Stark,” Steve said in a tired tone. “This center of the attention crap you’re pulling. When will it be enough for you?”

“That’s a logical fallacy you’re using there, Cap,” Tony said, picking up his phone to leave. “Attacking my character instead of my argument. It tells me you’re running out of points to argue. Maybe you should re-evaluate your argument before attacking mine again.”

* * *

Tony got an email from Peter detailing how more paperwork needed to be filled out for his supposed communications credit. Tony asked FRIDAY to set a reminder for it in the morning. He got another email from Pepper telling him she was very pleased with the reception he was receiving, even if it was out of pity. That at least aroused a snort from him. His heart jumped when he saw that he got a message from Rhodey saying he’d be back soon and would visit the tower first thing.

Tony pulled up his Twitter account. It had become sort of an addiction. As a billionaire, it gave him the appearance that he looked rather busy, which was a plus. He couldn’t help but search his own name, scrolling through the comments about him from the interviews. They were all fairly the same until he came across a picture. He recognized himself in bad incognito with sweatpants on walking next to a very familiar dark figure with a bun. Tony cursed to himself.

The picture wasn’t necessarily trending, but the likes and comments seemed to be increasing with every second. The comments were fairly mundane, however, pointing out Tony Stark in sweatpants and a god forbidden man bun on the other man. Barnes’ face wasn’t shown, but Tony couldn’t help but feel goosebumps crawl up his arm as he studied the picture closely. He was getting too comfortable. Sooner or later, someone was going to find out.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week went by sooo fast. I wasn't ready  
> Once again, I appreciate everyone who's reading and leaving comments. I swear I don't mean to be this absent

“Do you have something against showing up on time, kiddo?” Tony said when Peter ran into the lab. The kid didn’t look out of breath or tired, so Tony assumed he couldn’t have been running for long. Peter at least looked apologetic as he placed his backpack down.

“Sorry! I had to talk to a teacher after school.”

“Which one was it this time? You haven’t said art or PE yet,” Tony said, pretending to think about it. Peter’s face went blank as he hesitated. “I’m kidding, but you have some nerve to be late you an internship with Tony Stark.”

“I’m sorry! I ran all the way here after I got off the subway, and there was this nice woman handing out—”

“Kid,” Tony said, making Peter come to a halt. “You’re fine. Just show me what you’ve been working on.” Peter’s face brightened up a bit.

“Right, well, I finished Joey,” Peter said, pulling out the bot he had made from out of his designated cabinet. It wasn’t very big, only going up to about Peter’s knee.

“Joey?” Tony repeated. Peter blushed a bit. “Stand for anything?”

“Uh, is it supposed to? I just liked the name,” Peter said sheepishly. Tony snorted and gestured for him to continue. “He doesn’t have a voice, but he understands English so far. It’s really hard to calibrate other languages when I don’t understand them, but I’m working on Spanish,” Peter trailed off a bit.

“Fair enough.”

“So he takes a voice command and helps to find what you’re looking for based on what you’ve already manually put in,” Peter help up his lanyard, “and what his large database tells him it most likely looks like.”

“Neat.” Tony watched with amusement as Peter launched the lanyard across the lab.

“Joey, help me find my lanyard,” Peter requested. The bot’s eyes lit up blue before getting to work, first scanning the room before making a dash for the spot where Peter threw the lanyard. Peter looked exceptionally proud of the bot when it returned the lanyard to his hands. Tony nodded his head, giving an impressed clap.

“Good job, kid. You going to enter it in the science fair?”

“No,” Peter said, his voice softening a bit. He started to explain himself when he saw Tony’s confused expression. “It’s just that, not everyone had the same resources, and it wouldn’t be fair.”

“Are you going to enter at all?” Tony asked. Peter shrugged.

“I don’t really know what else I could make,” Peter said, trailing off.

“I’m sure you can think of something in time. I can—”

“I have to do it without your help, Mr. Stark,” Peter insisted. Tony just shrugged and held his hands up in a surrendering motion.

“You do have to enter though. What are people going to say if the only high school intern doesn’t enter a science fair at his tech school,” Tony insisted. Peter looked a bit sheepish.

“Uh, probably not much,” Peter said in a higher voice.

“What do you mean?”

“They’d have to actually believe I’m an intern for them to have expectations…” Peter said, his voice getting quieter with each word.

“Come again?”

“They don’t believe I actually have an internship here,” Peter repeated reluctantly.

“You don’t. You have one with me specifically.”

“Yeah, they’d believe that even less.”

“I don’t understand. Didn’t you have to turn in the paperwork?” Tony asked in a confused tone, thinking back to the multiple papers he had to sign.

“Well, yeah. The administration believed me after they called the coordinating director to confirm, but none of the teachers or students do.”

“Huh,” Tony hummed. “Interesting.”

“Anyway, I’m not sure if I’ll enter. I’ll probably help my friend Ned out with his.” Tony was silent for a moment in thought. “You okay, Mr. Stark?”

“Fine. Let’s get to work, young ward.”

* * *

“It was bold of you to assume you could cure any sort of traumatic stress with this device,” Strange said, looking it over with a blank face. Tony and Barnes shared a look of annoyance.

“Why not?”

“You’re focusing too much on the memory aspect and not enough of the emotion,” Strange said, putting the glasses down with a shaky hand. He clasped both behind his back when he saw Tony’s scrutinizing eyes.

“Meaning?”

“If you want this to work, you have to focus not only on the hippocampus but also on the amygdala,” Strange explained slowly, making Tony roll his eyes. “Not that I expected you to know that. Have you ever sought professional help, Mr. Stark?”

“What are you supposing we do?” Tony asked bluntly. Strange pretended to think for a moment.

“Therapy and medication,” Strange said, making Tony and Barnes groan. “Typical treatment for PTSD victims.”

“PTSD?” Barnes repeated.

“You’re still scared of your triggers,” Strange pointed out.

“Yeah, they turn him into a mindless robot,” Tony said in a frustrated tone.

“That’s my guess for how they instilled them into you in the first place,” Strange explained. “They had to start somewhere. Saying words doesn’t make one go against one’s own will.”

“His memory was erased,” Tony said.

“Have you worked to recover it?” The look on their faces said it all. “Add that to your treatment. Along with that, make sure you work on getting him to stop fear the words. There’s no punishment if you don’t comply,” Strange said the last part to Barnes.

“I know that,” Barnes mumbled.

“Then try to convince yourself of that,” Strange responded. Strange created a portal that led him back to the sanctum. He turned around one last time. “If that doesn’t work, don’t contact me again.” With a fake smile, Strange stepped through and let the portal close behind him. Barnes gave Tony and irritated look.

“I hate that guy,” Barnes muttered, going to the kitchen for a drink.

“Ditto, but I’ve got an idea.”

“Do you?” Barnes said with fake enthusiasm, grabbing a drink from the fridge.

“You know Sam Wilson?”

“The only one who wasn’t an asshole from your interviews?” Barnes said thoughtfully. “Yeah.”

“He’s a veteran. He works with fellow PTSD victims—” Barnes was already shaking his head.

“I know where you’re headed, and I don’t like it.”

“He could work with you—”

“He’s Steve’s best friend. You can’t tell him,” Barnes insisted. Tony scoffed.

“ _You’re_ Steve’s best friend. He’s a reasonable guy. He’s done this before!”

“What do you mean?”

“The rise of H.Y.D.R.A.,” Tony explained. “Steve and Natasha went into hiding, and where did they go?”

“They stayed with Wilson?” Barnes said in disbelief. Tony nodded with a smile. “And then…”

“He helped take H.Y.D.R.A. down, kind of,” Tony explained with a smile. “He’s all for doing the right thing illegally, even if he isn’t exactly sure what the right thing is.”

“You want to trust him when he helped them do something as stupid as that?” Barnes asked gruffly.

“He got a first-hand account of Steve and Natasha trying to figure out what to do and their greatest time of need. Steve didn’t think he could trust anybody else, except this random guy he met on the streets, I guess,” Tony muttered the last part bitterly. “He felt the situation was desperate and went along with their plan. If we explain your situation, I’m sure he’ll help.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith in this man you barely know,” Barnes said.

“I could say the same about you,” Tony pointed out quietly. Barnes stared at him for a moment for sighing. “We don’t have to. It’s just a suggestion.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Barnes sighed. “Just make sure you can trust him. It’s not just about me, you know. If he screws us over, he’d take you down too.” Tony gave him a tight smile.

“Don’t worry about me, Buck. Let’s work on getting that pretty little brain of yours full of serotonin, dopamine, and the works.”

* * *

“Tony, we’ve got a problem,” Natasha said, walking into Tony’s lab like she owned the place.

“Really?” Tony said sarcastically, subtly hiding away the schematics for Barnes’ arm he had up. Natasha was dressed professionally and holding a tablet against her chest, staring at him impatiently. “Well then, I guess I should probably handle it.”

“This isn’t the time ego boost, Stark,” Natasha said emotionlessly. “It’s about Wanda.”

“Oh, even better,” Tony said, rubbing his hands together for good measure. Natasha rolled her eyes and walked over to show Tony what was one her tablets. She scrolled through comments and comments of backlash from the interviews. Many were demanding justice for her actions before and when assisting Ultron. Some called for a hearing while others talked about taking action into their own hands. “Oh, well they shouldn’t do that. That’s definitely not a good idea,” Tony muttered to himself as he read some of those particular comments.

“What are you going to do about this?” Natasha asked. Tony blinked at her.

“Uh, nothing?” Tony said.

“Stark—”

“Romanoff,” Tony interrupted in the same tone. “It’s not my job to make her look good. Did you try Rogers? He’s the one who recommended her for the initiative.”

“You’re the one who organized these interviews to improve our image. This isn’t helping. You have a higher influence.”

“Higher than _Captain America_? I’m flattered,” Tony chuckled. “I thought we had this conversation. I can’t control what people post on the internet. If it makes you feel better, you could search my name and bathe in the hateful comments. Also, I didn’t force anyone to do the interviews. Rogers actually agreed before I did.”

“Why are you trying to push everything off onto Steve?” Natasha said in an accusing tone, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Well, I’ve got other things to do,” Tony said, motioning to the holograms around him. “Wanda is his recruit, and Steve has nothing better to do.”

“Nothing better to do? Really, Stark, just because he’s not rubbing his money in everyone’s faces—”

“What is he doing then?” Tony questioned. “He doesn’t have a job. Why are you guys constantly trying to make me do everything for you?”

“You’re still holding a grudge,” Natasha said, ignoring his question. “You know she got in my head too, right? She got in Steve’s head. She got in Thor’s head. No one else is holding grudges.” Tony pursed his lips into a smile and tilted his head.

“Well…” Tony said in a higher pitched voice. He tapped Natasha’s tablet. “Seems like a lot of people are.”

“So you’re going to let her take the fall?”

“For her own actions? Yeah. Maybe she should do something about it besides a few press interviews explaining why watermelon is her favorite fruit,” Tony suggested sarcastically. “Sign her up for some community service or something. It might look good to see her using her powers to pick up trash off the side of the highway.” Natasha powered her tablet off before stepping back.

“You used to do anything to do the right thing,” Natasha said dully.

“I used to do anything to prove myself to you people,” Tony said. “Good luck with the whole Wanda thing.”

* * *

“What does it take for a guy to get a proper greeting around here?” Tony jumped in his seat at the sudden sound of a voice in his lab. He turned to see Rhodey standing with an amused smile.

“Oh, hey,” Tony said casually. Rhodey rolled his eyes and moved to give his best friend a hug anyway. “Must you send me into cardiac arrest just to greet me?”

“I would ask what you’ve been doing, but I’ve seen the interviews,” Rhodey said with a laugh. “I want to meet that Wilson guy.”

“I knew you would, Air Force nerd,” Tony muttered.

“He’s also a lot less of an asshole than I thought he’d be,” Rhodey said.

“Well, you could come to the next team dinner,” Tony said with fake enthusiasm. Rhodey snorted and raised his eyebrows.

“That’s a joke right?” He studied the look on Tony’s face. “You guys actually have team dinners?”

“You know Steve’s old-fashioned, right?”

“At the compound?”

“Yes, Rhodey. They’re a thing.”

“I would ask why you don’t live there, but the interviews said everything…” Rhodey said, trailing off.

“My image boosted a bit,” Tony said with a shrug. Rhodey laughed.

“Theirs didn’t.” Rhodey laughed once again for good measure before looking around. “Are you busy? I was going to take you out for lunch.”

“Aren’t you sweet?” Tony said dully, making Rhodey roll his eyes fondly. “Actually, I’m having a guest in about two minutes…make that ten if he’s late again.”

“A guest? He?”

“I have friends outside of you, you know,” Tony said defensively.

“So he’s a friend?”

“No…” Tony said quietly. “Not the point.” Tony didn’t say much more before Peter was walking in after punching in his personal key code. Rhodey turned apprehensively when someone entered the lab without Tony’s permission, astonished to see a teenage boy staring at him with a similar expression.

“Oh, my god, that’s War Machine,” Peter said in a high voice. Tony snorted and face palmed at the hero worship Peter seemed to get from everyone except him these days. Rhodey looked back at him, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Peter.

“Who’s this kid?”

“My intern,” Tony answered honestly.

“He’s twelve.”

“Uh, no?” Tony said, scrunching up his face. “Fourteen…?” Peter nodded slowly. “Yeah, fourteen.”

“You have a fourteen-year-old intern?”

“I’ll be fifteen soon…” Peter said sheepishly. Rhodey blinked at Tony.

“He’s smart’” Tony explained.

“I don’t know if I’m more shocked by his age or the fact that you have an intern…”

“Why is that so surprising?” Tony said in a defensive tone.

“Because you’re the most secretive person I know, and he has a personal passcode to your personal lab,” Rhodey explained slowly. Tony contemplated that for a second before nodding.

“Okay, I understand the shock factor. Whatever,” Tony said with a shrug. He looked past Rhodey at Peter. “Peter. Lunch?” Peter looked at him for a second before pointing at himself with a frown.

“You want me to go get some?”

“No, I’m asking if you’ve had it,” Tony correct. Both Peter and Rhodey looked at Tony with varying expressions of disbelief. Peter shook his head. “Cool, I’m treating you and Rhodey.”

“It’s still my treat,” Rhodey corrected. Peter looked back and forth between the two of them. “Come on. We’re getting pizza.”

Peter held his backpack closely to his chest as he sat in the backseat of Tony’s Audi. He was confused as to why Happy wasn’t driving them, but Tony explained how Happy other duties to attend to. Tony and Rhodey talked about Rhodey’s excursions on the way. Peter couldn’t help but pull out his phone and take a discreet photo to send to Ned with about twenty exclamation marks accompanying. When they reached the restaurant, Tony tossed a similar incognito getup that Peter was getting used to wearing. Rhodey snorted at Tony.

“Is that it?” Rhodey asked, pointing at the glasses and cap. Tony shrugged and pointed out the window.

“It’s right there.”

“You’ve gotten lazier.”

“Yeah, a bit,” Tony said, getting out the car. Their reservation for a discreet table was ready when they walked in. Peter was shaking in his seat sitting in a booth besides Mr. Stark with War Machine across from them.

“What’s going on with everyone?” Rhodey finally asked when their order was taken. Peter drank his soda while pushing himself further into the corner. “Those interviews were kind of…”

“They could have been so much worse,” Tony said. “Trust me. I had to coach them on what not to do.”

“Are they spitting on your shoes off camera then?” Rhodey chuckled. “Seriously, they practically acted like you were an extra in all of the interviews. It doesn’t look good.”

“Trust me, I know that,” Tony said with a sigh, running a hand over his face. “Romanoff is bothering me about people not liking Maximoff.”

“I saw that,” Rhodey responded with a nod. “What are they going to do?”

“I don’t know, but I’m excited to see.” Both of them laughed at Tony’s enthusiasm.

“Seriously, Tony, they don’t deserve you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? They don’t have me, per se.”

“You’re still catering to their desires and trying to better their image without them trying to do so themselves. I can’t be the only one noticing this.”

“You’re not,” Peter spoke up. He immediately looked like he regretted it. Rhodey raised his eyebrows and nodded for him to continue. “It’s just that people are kind of upset with how they take Mr. Stark for granted.”

“Mr. Stark,” Rhodey repeated under his breath.

“They don’t know everything,” Tony said, waving the issue off. “Plus, a good portion of them are still upset with me. It balances out.”

“Not since people have learned the fuller extent of Maximoff’s powers,” Peter said. Both of them looked at Peter curiously. Peter pulled out the Stark Tablet to show them some of the data he collected.

“Jesus, kid, I hope you aren’t doing this in class,” Tony said, looking at the graphs and saved comments Peter had collected.

“Only in English,” Peter joked. Rhodey laughed and studied what Peter pulled up. “People understood that she could infiltrate people’s minds along with her telekinetic powers when she explained why she was a valuable asset in one of the interviews. People are starting to wonder whether she has control over you guys.” Tony hadn’t even considered the possibility that Wanda’s magic could work long-term.

“Well, shit, Tony,” Rhodey muttered. “That’s not good.”

“It’s looking good for Mr. Stark,” Peter mentioned shyly. “People are starting to wonder whether she was the true creator of Ultron.” Rhodey and Tony shared a look.

“Technically, the mind stone is. They’re one in the same really. Maximoff got her powers from it. Ultron came alive because of it…”

“So did Vision,” Rhodey reminded him.

“So did Vision…” Tony muttered. The one good thing out of the entire situation, even though he reminded him too much of JARVIS.

“Is she just going to hide away in the compound, waiting for it to blow over?” Rhodey asked.

“Rogers is probably reassuring her right now that it’s all bullshit. I doubt they’ll do anything to address it. I should probably be careful before Romanoff finds something to blackmail me with.”

“Actually, I don’t think that’s going to happen…” Peter said in a weird tone, studying his tablet.

“What do you mean?” Tony asked. Peter turned the tablet to show them the video he was watching, turning up the volume. It was a video of Steve and Wanda sitting side by side in the familiar surroundings of the compound. “Oh no…”

“…and I would like to reiterate how Wanda was wrongly led. As a young woman, she still has the chance to change her life for the better with our help. The Ultron fiasco was complicated, and it included multiple factors, including our very own Tony Stark. However, just as we forgave Tony, we are forgiving Wanda for being misled. I know it is impossible to change everyone’s minds about her, but I would like to ask everyone to recognize that there are factors unknown to the public, and condemning Wanda permanently for her past actions would be unethical and un-American—”

“Oh, fuck me,” Tony groaned, slamming his face into his palms. The waitress gave him a concerned look as she set their pizzas down, telling them to call her if they needed anything.

“Did he just say ‘un-American?’” Rhodey repeated in shock.

“He also called her brother a martyr,” Peter recapped. “To end the video, he addressed the lost lives of those in Sokovia once again, explaining how the Avengers were ready to die to save as many lives as they could. Those that were loss were a terrible but inevitable tragedy—”

“Stab me,” Tony mumbled into his hands. “Is this Romanoff’s way of getting back at me? She purposefully made them make a dumbass video to get back at me.”

“I highly doubt Natasha had anything to do with this,” Rhodey said. “This isn’t her style. It’s too blatant.”

“Did Wanda say anything the _entire_ interview?” Tony asked desperately. Peter hummed while fast-forwarding through the entire five-minute message.

“She apologized for being misled near the end, but she usually just nods at whatever Steve says,” Peter answered.

“Goddammit,” Tony groaned. Rhodey clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Take a bet. What are the commenters going to be more upset about, Steve talking for her the entire time, his half-assed apology, or his disrespect for the Sokovia victims?”

“My bet is on Sokovia,” Rhodey sighed. “I can’t believe he compared her to you.”

“He said a bit more at the end,” Peter said sheepishly, reading the transcript. “Comparing her second chance to yours after Afghanistan.”

“I’m going to rip my hair out,” Tony muttered.

“It’s also trending on Twitter,” Peter commented.

“I thought you didn’t have a Twitter.”

“I made one…” Peter said quietly. He showed Tony his profile. Tony laughed at his handle: @TonyStarkIntern. “Stark Industries Intern was taken.”

“Well, you’re not a Stark Industries Intern anyway,” Tony said. “You don’t have any followers.”

“Because I don’t post anything,” Peter explained.

“Why not?” Tony asked. Peter blushed.

“Because I just got it for work…”

“Well, work on getting followers. You’re practically running PR now.”

“You want me to post stuff? About what?”

“I don’t know. Internship stuff. Stark Industries stuff. Reach other to the other interns if you have to.”

“You want me to talk to college students,” Peter asked in a breathy tone. Tony gave him a deadpan look.

“Kid, you’re literally sitting with War Machine and Iron Man,” Tony pointed out. “This is your proof that you have an internship with me to show to school people.”

“They’ll never believe me, and they’ll think I’m a total dweeb if I tell them I’m running an account,” Peter said quickly, shaking his head as he did so. Tony rolled his eyes and got up to sit next to Rhodey. He took off his hat and glasses and threw a thumb up.

“Picture time. Your first post for the account. You can stay anonymous since you’re too much of a dweeb,” Tony teased. Peter blushed but held up his phone to take a photo of the two of them anyway.

“Can we go back to Rogers’ video trending?” Rhodey said. Peter nodded with wide eyes, rushing to pull it back up.

“Over 30,000 people are tweeting about this,” Peter said as he started to scroll. “Mr. Rhodey was right. Most are tweeting about the Sokovia comment.”

“Mr. Rhodey…” Rhodey repeated under his breath.

“What else?” Tony pressed.

“There are a more and more coming in about how Wanda didn’t speak the entire video. Some are saying that Steve won’t let her talk and others are saying that she’s too cowardly. Some are addressing the ‘un-American- comment fiercely. Mr. Stark’s name is starting to trend as people wonder what your response is going to be.”

“What my response is going to be?” Tony said in a confused tone.

“It sounds a lot like people are viewing this as an attack to your character,” Peter explained, not taking his eyes off the screen. “The mind control thing is resurfacing, and people don’t like the comparison between the two of you for different reasons.”

“Different reasons?” Rhodey asked.

“Some are saying Wanda ‘shouldn’t be compared to a grown man capable of making his own decisions for years,’” Peter quoted, looking incredibly uncomfortable as he read it. “Others are saying things like ‘I didn’t know not joining a terrorist organization was something that needed to be taught to children, but I guess it is.’” Rhodey snorted at that last comment.

“This is just great,” Tony said. “I can’t win.”

“You’ve got multiple messages from Natasha Romanoff and Miss Potts,” Peter said. Tony waved his hand.

“I’ll deal with it later. We still have to get back to the tower so you can do your thing before you disappear to do teenager stuff. Let’s eat.”


	9. Chapter 9

Something about Spiderman was familiar to Tony, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. The kid, who was obviously a kid by Tony’s standards, ran around in a onesie and goggles. It was pitiful. It Tony had to guess, he’d say the kid was in college based on how fit he seemed to be running around all the time. There was also the fact that Spiderman was extremely quirky and talkative, not something you usually found in heroes besides Tony.

He was clearly a vigilante, acting outside the law. However, Tony had more of a desire to train him and induct him into the Avengers more than he had a desire to put an end to it. The kid usually handled small things, so Tony wasn’t too worried about something going wrong. He also had a bit of desperation to get to Spiderman before Captain America got his hands on him.

Tony asked FRIDAY to start to process of tracking down potential suspects for Spiderman when he got a call from Steve Rogers. Tony sighed and gave FRIDAY permission to answer it.

“Tony,” Steve said as soon as his face popped up in front of him.

“Rogers,” Tony said back in a fake cheery tone.

“We need to talk.”

“Speaking…”

“It’s about Wanda.”

“Oh, is this about the YouTube stunt you pulled claiming that Wanda was not a threat and shouldn’t be held accountable for her actions.”

“She needs protection, Tony. She doesn’t deserve to be attacked like this,” Steve explained in a frustrated tone.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have made a video dismissing her past as anything except a minor inconvenience…”

“Natasha asked you for help,” Steve pointed out angrily.

“And then you took the liberty to handle things yourself. I’m so proud of you,” Tony mocked cheerfully.

“Why are you doing this?” Steve asked frustratedly.

“I’m not doing anything,” Tony said, leaning back in his chair. “I’d suggest keeping Maximoff out of the spotlight for a little bit. Otherwise, there’s nothing I can really do. Unless…”

“Unless?”

“You could make another video saying how extremely sorry you are for your past video, letting Maximoff actually speak and explain herself, and telling them how you plan to make things right.”

“This isn’t a joke, Tony,” Steve scoffed.

“Oh, I know it’s not. If things don’t go well for her, they won’t go well for you. They already aren’t going well for you. You not only recommended her but continue to defend her.”

“She’s a kid, Tony. She needs my help.”

“I’ve seen kids younger than a grown woman with stronger liberties than her,” Tony said. “Though, if you keep this act up, they might think she’s lost her voice.”

“You think this is a joke,” Steve deadpanned.

“Oh no. A hilarious mistake, but not a joke,” Tony corrected. “Hey, I’m going to go. By the way, I appreciated the comment where you compared her situation to mine. Real tasteful,” Tony said with a thumbs up. Steve didn’t get to respond before FRIDAY was closing out of the video chat. Tony sat for a while contemplatively. “Hey, FRI?” Tony called out.

“Yes, boss?”

“Call Sam Wilson for me.”

* * *

“You know I’d never say no to a free meal,” Sam said when they sat down at their table for lunch. Tony rolled his eyes with a fond snort. Even though Tony and Sam had come to an understanding, Sam’s eager agreement most likely came from the desire to get away from the drama spurring at the compound after Steve and Wanda’s video. “I’m sorry for what they did, by the way.”

“You don’t have to apologize for them like a parent,” Tony waved him off.

“Yeah, but Steve’s probably not going to do it,” Sam said sheepishly.

“No, he did not,” Tony admitted, thinking back to the call. Sam cringed when he realized that the two of them must have talked already.

“This is not going to look good for us in the future,” Sam said defeatedly. “Is that why I’m here?”

“Actually, I called you here for an entirely different reason…” Tony admitted. Sam looked concerned but motioned for Tony to continue. “You’re pretty experienced with PTSD victims.” Sam looked like he already knew what was going on.

“Oh, man, yeah, Tony. Whatever you need man—”

“It’s not for me,” Tony interrupted. “It’s for a friend of mine.”

“Oh,” Sam said. “You want me specifically?”

“Sam, we understand each other, don’t we? Not just because of the whole Avenger business, but we’ve gotten closer. I can trust you.”

“Oh, this sounds like a bad thing,” Sam said with concern, but not necessarily dismissal. Tony smiled.

“Can you keep a secret if it’s for a good cause?” Sam looked skeptical, but he eventually nodded slowly. Tony sent a text to Barnes under the table. Sam turned around to look at the door when Tony kept staring at it, his eyes narrowing when Barnes walked in with a hoodie and sunglasses. Barnes sat next to Tony. Sam and Barnes stared at each other for a few minutes.

“Who’s this?” Sam asked after a few moments, not taking his eyes off Barnes. Tony nudged Barnes, ignoring the glare Barnes shot his way. With a sigh, Barnes removed his sunglasses. Sam stared at him longer, still not moving. “Explain.”

“I’m pretty sure you know who this is—” Tony started.

“Explain,” Sam insisted.

“Right. Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes was supposed to die seventy plus years ago, but he was captured by H.Y.D.R.A. and brainwashed. We’re trying to get rid of the triggers that made him that way.”

“Are you kidding me?” Sam whispered. “This man is an assassin. I know Steve doesn’t know about this.”

“Nope,” Barnes said.

“Definitely not,” Tony said at the same time.

“I can’t—” Sam started to stand up. Barnes stood with him while Tony reach out to grab him.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Tony said hurriedly. “Please, here us out.” Sam stared at him for a moment, contemplating his life choices before he sat back down. “He’s Barnes right now. Well, his fake name is James Buck. That’s not important. He only turns into the guy you fought when he is exposed to these trigger words, but we’re already working on that. He still has PTSD—”

“Oh, Stark,” Sam said, rubbing his face stressfully. “Do you realize what you’re asking me.”

“A big ass favor,” Tony admitted, giving Sam a desperate look. Sam looked back and forth between the two of them.

“How long has he been here?”

“Uh…” Tony looked over at Barnes. “A few weeks?” Barnes shrugged. Sam looked at the two of them in disbelief.

“You’ve kept this a secret for weeks?”

“I also know about Steve using my resources to hunt him down every other weekend as well,” Tony said with a smile, making Sam’s face go blank. “Yeah, I stopped buying the ‘trying to stop H.Y.D.R.A’ thing a while ago.”

“Is this a revenge plot?” Sam said.

“What would I be getting revenge on exactly?” Tony said. He snorted and then pointed to Barnes. “Who would he be getting revenge on?”

“How do you know you can trust him?”

“Other than the fact that he’s been living under my roof for weeks?” Tony said, pretending to think.

“He’s been living with you?” Sam repeated. Tony nodded. “Is this why you refuse to live at the compound?”

“Amongst many other things, yes,” Tony sighed. “Listen, Sam. There’s only so many things I can do to convince you to trust me and him. I’m trusting you not to tell anybody despite your choice to help us or not.” The table fell silent. “We’ll give you a few days to think about it.”

* * *

“You’re joking, right?” Tony said, staring at the hologram in disbelief.

“Peter Parker’s schedule matches up perfectly to that Spiderman’s,” FRIDAY explains. “His main territory is in the Queens borough, and Mr. Parker has no alibi.”

“You do know that Queens has a population of over two million people, FRI. Peter is a very convenient find. Stop playing cute. Where’s your actual research?” FRIDAY pulled up the data she used to calibrate Spiderman’s most likely identity, including maps and somewhat blurry footage of Peter’s face in his onesie. “Who else has access to this information.”

“No one, boss. I pulled this from a camera in one of his frequently visited areas.”

“Did you delete?”

“Yes.” Tony sighed and stared at the photo of his fourteen—or was it fifteen now—year-old intern. This was probably the worst-case scenario.

“Jesus,” Tony groaned, rubbing his face. “Why.”

“My research shows this to be a recent development, boss. There is no record of Spiderman up until a few weeks ago or of anyone with his abilities. I infer super strength and healing to be a part of enhanced abilities.”

“And that webbing stuff?” Tony said, looking at another video of the kid swinging through the air hundreds of feet in the air.

“Looks like an original solution created by Mr. Parker himself, along with the device he uses to shoot them,” FRIDAY explained, showing a zoomed in photo of the device on his wrist. Tony sat back in his chair, studying the image.

“That’s nice,” Tony whispered. “Except for the fact that he’s running around in a fucking cotton onesie.”

“Should I contact Mr. Parker?”

“No, not yet.”

“Are you planning on putting a stop to this, Boss?” FRIDAY asked curiously. Tony sat quietly for a while.

“No. Create a new file. Call it Spidey-boy. Also, pull up Peter’s address from his internship file. He lives with his aunt, correct?”

“Yes, Boss. May Parker is Peter’s aunt by marriage.” Peter’s address was pulled up.

“Great. Let’s get started on this first.”

A few hours later, Tony was knocking on May Parker’s apartment door. He had timed it so he would arrive about thirty minutes before Peter was supposed to be getting home from school. May opened the door with the upmost surprise.

“Mr. Stark,” she breathed out, still in her work clothes. Tony took his sunglasses off and smiled.

“Miss Parker!” Tony greeted cheerfully. “Is Peter home?” She looked confused for a second before shaking her head.

“Oh, no. He doesn’t get out of school for a few more minutes,” May answered, looking behind her into the apartment. “Do you want to come in?”

“If it’s not too much,” Tony said softly. May smiled and waved him off.

“Of course not. Come on in. Excuse the mess. Can I get you something to drink?” Tony stepped in, taking in the quaint apartment that had clear signs of Peter living here, from the dorky t-shirt laying on the couch to the notebooks laying on the table.

“Just a water, please. I was actually in the neighborhood and decided to drop off some paperwork Peter claimed he needed for school,” Tony lied smoothly. May looked pointedly at the brown bag in his hand, not the typical vessel for carrying paperwork. Tony smiled sheepishly before pulling out a hoodie with a Stark Industries logo on it. May’s face was one of realization before a smile spread across it.

“Oh, he’ll love that! He’s been talking about how no one would ever believe he had an internship there,” May gushed. Tony nodded along while shoving it back into the bag. He took the water from May before sitting on the couch with her. May continued to talk about Peter like she was her own son, making Tony smile without realizing it. Peter came in without even realizing Tony was sitting on the couch.

“Hey, Peter,” May called out. Peter called back a greeting, coming back out with a banana that dropped to the floor once Peter caught sight of Tony.

“What is he…” Peter said.

“Don’t be rude,” May scolded. “Mr. Stark came all this way to give you stuff that _you_ need for school and with a gift!”

“Stuff I need…” Peter mumbled, looking like he was thinking really hard.

“You mind if I talk to him for a minute? I was just going to give him advice on his science fair project while I was at it,” Tony said, giving May a wide smile. May’s jaw dropped before she turned to look at Peter.

“Science fair?” She repeated. Peter laughed nervously, throwing Tony a glare when she turned back. Tony had a shit-eating grin on his face as he stood with the bag. Upon entering his room, Tony pulled out the Stark Industries sweatshirt.

“Heads up,” Tony said, throwing the hoodie directly on his head. Peter glared at him as he pulled it off, holding it up to see what it was. “A gift from Pepper. You’re an official intern.”

“I’ve been an official intern,” Peter muttered. “This doesn’t prove anything by the way.”

“Oh, I know it won’t,” Tony teased. “That’s not what I came here for.”

“What did I need for school?”

“That was a lie,” Tony said, sitting down at Peter’s desk. “I actually came to talk to you about this.” Tony used his phone to pull up a holographic video of Spiderman swinging through the streets. Though Tony was pretending to not be paying attention to Peter, he could see him lose all the color in his face. “You kids watch a lot of YouTube these days, right? You know who this is?”

“Uh…” Peter’s mouth opened and closed. “That’s the spider…dude.”

“Spider dude?” Tony repeated, pretending to concentrate on the video.

“Well, Spiderman,” Peter tried to say casually.

“Oh,” Tony said in fake realization. “Spider-boy”

“Man,” Peter corrected.

“Right.” Tony held back a laugh.

“Why are you asking me about him?” Peter asked nervously.

“Well, I was trying to track him down.”

“What?” Peter stuttered.

“So I could give him this,” Tony said, reaching into the brown bag to pull out the suit he made. Peter’s jaw dropped as he took it in. “Nice, isn’t it? I think I got the web devices down, but there’s something about that web fluid that I just can’t put my finger on.”

“You couldn’t recreate the fluid?” Peter stuttered, astonished. Tony shrugged and shook his head.

“Whoever he is, he must be a really smart kid.”

“Why are you giving him the suit?”

“Well, my recruitment status for the Avengers is pretty low—” Tony said slyly.

“You’re going to make him an Avenger!” Peter practically yelled. Tony leaned back, putting a hand up. Peter apologized sheepishly.

“Maybe. I don’t actually know who the guy is. He looks trustworthy from what I’ve seen…” Tony played off, stuffing the suit back into the bag. Peter’s eyes dimmed a bit as the suit went out of sight.

“You just want to talk to him?” Peter said nervously. Tony raised an eyebrow at him.

“Do you know him?” Tony said.

“No! Well…” Peter said, his eyes darting around the room. Tony stood up, looking around the room for a second.

“You know, I just had the wildest conversation with your aunt…” Tony said. Peter frowned at him.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Tony confirmed. “She was going on and on about how disappointed she was that you had quit so many afterschool activities and if I could lighten up on the hours.” Peter cleared his throat awkwardly, leaning up against the wall. “And I thought, that’s weird, because Peter is only with me for a few hours. He leaves because he’s so busy with ‘school stuff.’”

“I swear I’m not doing drugs or something!” Peter sputtered. Tony just stared at him for a few moments before shaking his head.

“Ignoring that. It just made me realize that’s it’s probably a really bad idea that she doesn’t know.”

“Doesn’t know what?” Peter asked, squinting at him.

“About the spider-boy thing,” Tony said casually. Peter’s eyes bugged out of his head.

“What?”

“Yeah, you break curfew a lot don’t you?” Tony said, not looking at Peter anymore. “Because Spiderman can be swinging around until the wee hours of the morning on some occasions.”

“I don’t know—”

“I tried telling FRIDAY that it was just a _coincidence_ that your schedules matched up—”

“Mr. Stark—”

“But this was just the icing on the cake,” Tony said. With a quick motion, he revealed Peter’s Spiderman costume from the ceiling. Peter jumped to push it into the closet, looking at Tony with wide eyes.

“I can explain…” Peter said after a few moments of silence. Tony hummed. “It’s a…”

“Terrible costume,” Tony said bluntly. “First off, you’re getting a lot of drag while you swing around. I can’t believe you wear this thing around jumping from building to building,” Tony criticized, pulling it out of the closet despite Peter’s protests. “It could get snagged on something. Then you’re either falling or running around butt naked.”

“Mr. Stark,” Peter groaned, hiding his face in his hands in embarrassment.

“The suit I made in skintight for a reason, by the way. It wouldn’t be my preference otherwise,” Tony commented. “The goggles are pretty dark. I was wondering about that until FRIDAY suggested a filter when I started making your mask.”

“It, yeah…” Peter started to explain but stopped himself.

“Also explains why you were acting so weird a while ago.”

“Acting weird?”

“Well, you missed a bunch of days—”

“I was sick,” Peter said in an affronted tone.

“Yeah, sick with whatever gave you these powers. What was that, by the way?”

“The powers?” Peter laughed nervously. “It was a spider…” Tony stared at him.

“A spider?”

“A spider bite. A radioactive spider bit me,” Peter explained, plopping down on his bed in defeat.

“A spider bit you…” Tony repeated, taking it all in.

“Why do you think I made webbing?” Peter said.

“Because you’re a nerd?” Tony suggested, ignoring the scowl Peter gave him. “Still, impressive. You can make it in the lab now instead of stealing from the school, which is how I’m guessing you did it before.”

“Maybe…” Peter said, blushing.

“So, what all can you do?”

“Uh, well, I have super strength for one,” Peter started explaining. “My senses are heightened, so I can hear from far away. I can see things clearer. Everything is just…too much sometimes.”

“Interesting,” Tony said, sitting back down at the desk.

“I can stick to things—”

“I’m sorry,” Tony interrupted. “What?” Peter’s blush deepened.

“You know, like spiders. Walls and stuff.” Tony just stared at him. Peter sighed before demonstrating by stick to the wall until he was able to climb onto the ceiling. Tony’s expression gave nothing away as he continued to watch him. “See?”

“I totally knew you could do that kid,” Tony admitted with a chuckle. “I’ve seen the videos.” Peter groaned.

“Then why did you make me—never mind,” Peter grumbled, letting himself fall back onto his bed.

“My suit should mostly be compatible, but there will still be some things to work out, of course,” Tony said. Peter’s face brightened up again.

“So you’re really letting me keep the suit? Oh, my god, am I an Avenger?” Peter gasped out, looking at Tony for confirmation. Tony stared back in surprise for a minute before laughing.

“No. Well, yes and no,” Tony answered. Peter’s face fell into one of confusion. “You’re keeping the suit. I’m not letting you keep doing whatever you do in a cotton onesie. But no. Definitely not an Avenger.” Peter looked affronted.

“What? Why? You were going to make him an Avenger before you knew he was me!” Peter complained, getting angrier by the second.

“One, you’re fourteen,” Tony reminded him.

“Fifteen soon.” Tony ignored him.

“Two, I was never going to make Spiderman an Avenger. I made that bullshit up on the spot to get you to slip,” Tony said. Peter glared at him again. “I’m not into the whole vigilante scene. I’m definitely not into you doing the whole vigilante scene, but I can tell you’re not going to stop whether or not I give you this suit, and I’m not giving away your identity by turning you in. I need a promise.”

“A promise?” Peter asked, frowning. Tony handed over the brown bag.

“Stick to the small stuff.”

“The small stuff?”

“The stuff you’re doing now. Saving cats, stopping muggings, returning stolen bikes. Friendly neighborhood Spiderman stuff,” Tony explained.

“But I can do bigger things,” Peter complained.

“Yeah, when you’re twenty.”

“Twenty?” Peter almost shouted. “Why twenty? I’ll be an adult when I’m eighteen.” Tony nodded his head from side to side.

“Yeah, but eighteen is just a number. I’m almost ready to push it to twenty-three, when you’ll be well out of college.” Peter’s jaw dropped.

“Mr. Stark, no! I don’t want to go to college. I want to be an Avenger.”

“Sorry. College degrees are required for applications,” Tony teased. Peter scoffed.

“None of the Avengers have degrees except you and Dr. Banner!”

“Vision is working on it,” Tony teased, ignoring the glare Peter was giving him. His glares were anything but intimidating.

“Why are you doing this?”

“Kid, we don’t need anymore Maximoffs on the team,” Tony said softly. Peter fell silent. “She has zero training and barely any experience, and she’s already made mistakes because of it. I’m not putting you off because I don’t think you wouldn’t make a great asset to the team. This is for your own good.”

“But I promise I’m not just some kid.”

“I know you’re not just _some kid_. Regardless, you’re still a kid. You’re so lucky I’m not tying your hands,” Tony warned. “By the way, there’s a little something extra added to our deal.”

“Huh?” Peter said.

“You’re telling your aunt.” Peter jumped up.

“What? No way!” Tony just nodded. “I can’t tell May. She’ll kill me!”

“Take it or leave it.”

“Mr. Stark, she’ll never let me leave the house again. She’s going to skin me alive if she finds out I’ve been sneaking off to do this.” Tony laughed.

“Then it will be your first and hopefully last lesson from your rebellious teenage stage,” Tony laughed. “But seriously. Tell her, or you’re not getting the suit. That means she’s probably going to establish a curfew. Break the curfew, you’re grounded from the suit. She’ll probably set limits on what you can do as well. It is your job to stay within these parameters.” Peter just groaned.

“Jesus, can I do anything anymore?” Tony smiled and got up to pat Peter’s back.

“Probably not for a while, but it’s necessary for your safety. You have to establish trust Peter, and that starts with May.” Peter sighed.

“Just May?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t recommend telling anybody else, secret identity and all. I will, however, be telling Happy and Pepper with your permission. Happy’s your go-to guy if anything goes wrong, and Pepper will also skin me if I keep something like this from her.” Peter just nodded moodily. “Great. I’m going to head off. See you tomorrow for the internship.”

“That’s still on?” Peter said in shock.

“Of course. I got you a hoodie and everything. Bring your own items, by the way. You have a science fair to win!”

* * *

“This is a nice surprise,” Barnes said when Tony walked in with Sam in tow. Sam whistled as he looked around Barnes’ apartment.

“Someone’s living in luxury,” Sam said.

“You live in the Avengers compound,” Barnes deadpanned. Sam shrugged and continued to look around. “I’m taking your unwarranted visit as a sign that you’re going to help me.”

“Yes, I’m ready to work my magic,” Sam said, rubbing his hands together. Barnes and Tony shared a look, with Tony holding back a laugh.

“And you haven’t told Steve?”

“I couldn’t tell Steve even if I wanted to. He’s constantly making sure Wanda is okay and thinking of solutions with Natasha.” Sam went silent in thought for a moment. “He’s also planning his next ‘H.Y.D.R.A. mission.’”

“Perfect,” Tony said. “No suspicion.”

“What exactly have you guys been doing?” Tony nodded for Sam to follow him, showing him the room that he and Barnes use when working on his triggers.

“I use my B.A.R.F. technology to target his memories and now his emotions to hopefully remove them. He still fears them, though, so that’s where you come in.”

“Fear?” Sam repeated with an interested tone, looking over at Barnes’ stoic figure.

“It wasn’t exactly a pretty scene getting him this way,” Tony said, motioning up and down Barnes’ body, stopping at his head. “He’s more soldier than he is Barnes. When we’re done, he’ll just be James.”

“Pretty noble of you,” Sam said.

“I try,” Tony drawled, showing Sam the frames. “Can you do your therapizing?”

“Whenever you’re ready, Barnes,” Sam said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to Civil War

“Boss, there’s been a disturbance,” FRIDAY’S voice rang out, distracting Tony from his work on Peter’s upgrade. Peter perked up, already pulling out his phone to check what could be going on. The picture had ended up being a brilliant idea, getting him verified and rolling in 500k followers, increasing every day. Tony thought the fame was going to the kid’s head. He was always on Twitter these days. Tony had evidence of it since he followed the account and saw what the kid posted. It started off very informative, but now the kid was using pictures he took of Tony as reactions.

“What is it FRI?” Tony asked.

“Wanda Maximoff is trending on Twitter,” Peter mumbled, his thumbs frantically flying over the screen.

“Goddammit,” Tony muttered, leaning back in his chair. “What’s going on?” FRIDAY pulled up some articles and displayed a video in front of him. It was a shaky film of Steve in his Captain America gear talking to what looked to be Crossbones. Tony flinched back when he saw what was clearly supposed to be an explosion stopped by red magic. The video zoomed in on Wanda as she struggled to control it, eventually let it go near the top of a building. Screaming could be heard before the video cut off.

“It’s not looking good,” Peter muttered.

“No shit,” Tony mumbled to himself. “Why the fuck was she with him? Oh, my god,” Tony groaned, gripping his hair.

“Multiple casualties with several injured,” FRIDAY reported dutifully. Tony groaned even louder. “There were also eleven relief aid workers from Wakanda killed.”

“Fuck, they’re screwed. Who was with them?” Tony stressed

“Sam Wilson and Natasha Romanoff were present,” FRIDAY answered. Tony sighed, but he already knew that Sam was going. He had committed to the mission long before he committed to helping Barnes. Romanoff’s involvement was just an annoyance. Tony was realizing that now more than ever was the time to bring up what was already about to be forced on the Avengers. That meant he had to talk to the Secretary of State, which put an unsettling feeling in his stomach. Screw Ross.

“You’re getting messages from Mr. Rhodey and Miss Potts,” Peter informed him. Tony sighed.

“You can abandon the communications thing, kid,” Tony said. Peter put his phone down and frowned at him. “I’ll handle this later. Let’s just focus on you for now, okay? I have a feeling I’m going to be a bit busy after this. That may mean missing a few internship days.”

“What?” Peter complained. “Aren’t I supposed to come with you on these things.”

“You just want to see the Avengers,” Tony snorted. Peter blushed and shook his head in denial. “I have a feeling it’s not going to be a pleasant conversation when I speak to them. I also have to deal with someone I _really_ don’t like.”

“That’s okay, I guess,” Peter mumbled. “Can we talk about this training wheels protocol?”

“Non-negotiable,” Tony responded bluntly.

“I’m not—”

“If you finish that sentence with ‘a kid,’ I’m going to activate pacifier mode.”

“What’s pacifier mode?”

“Muffling your suit so you can’t talk,” Tony teased with a smile. “I do have a surprise for you. However, I’ll only show you what it is if you promise to drop to training wheels thing.” Peter narrowed his eyes at him before slowly nodding. “FRIDAY, activate that AI in Peter’s suit.” Peter’s eyes went round.

“What? No way! You’re joking! Are they like FRIDAY?” Peter started to ramble, looking excitedly down at the suit that glowed briefly.

“Hello, Peter,” a female voice rang out. “It is nice to meet you so soon.”

“Oh, my god. Hi! What’s your name?” Peter asked. Tony snorted and watched with amusement as Peter bent down to talk to his suit despite FRIDAY emitting the AI’s voice from the same speakers she uses.

“That is for you to decide,” the AI answered. Peter’s grin spread across his face. He looked up at Tony with more excitement than Tony had ever seen on the boy.

“How about…” Peter’s face went into thinking mode. He turned a deep red for a second before shaking his head. Tony wasn’t sure he wanted to know what he was thinking. “Karen?” Tony snorted.

“Karen?” Tony repeated.

“Okay, Peter. You can call me Karen,” the AI, now Karen, responded. Peter had a giddy grin.

“This is so cool,” Peter whispered to himself. “Thank you, Mr. Stark!”

“She doesn’t have her full capabilities since you’re still on training wheels,” Tony teased, ignoring Peter’s scowl, “but I will activate some features, such as zooming in. You know, the basics.”

“Fine by me,” Peter breathed, still in awe.

“Don’t get too excited. She’s connected to May,” Tony said with a smirk. Peter’s smile dropped.

“No…”

“Yup. May can now contact you at any time through your suit,” Tony said with a sweet smile.

“You did this on purpose.”

“I mean, if you don’t want her…” Peter gasped and pointed a finger accusingly at Tony.

“You monster, you waited until I named her so I would get attached!” Peter yelled dramatically. Tony raised an eyebrow. Peter groaned and let his arm drop. “Fine.”

“Karen will remind you when your curfew is approaching. She’ll also call me if anything drastic occurs, just in case you were considering getting yourself involved in situations you shouldn’t be in.”

“Karen’s going to become my best friend, and, soon, she’ll drop all those protocols,” Peter said, looking longingly at his suit.

“Whatever you say, Spider-boy. Remember, she doesn’t pass for a real girlfriend. She’s too young for you anyway.” Peter blushed deeply, making Tony laugh. “Does this person you have a crush on know you have an internship?”

“She’s among everyone else in my school who doesn’t believe me, Mr. Stark. I wish you would stop bringing it up,” Peter grumbled, ignoring Tony’s smile. “She likes Spiderman, but everyone likes Spiderman.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, how do you think I feel?” Peter complained. “The new suit made everything better and worse at the same time.”

“You’ll get over the teenage angst eventually. This is why you can’t be an Avenger,” Tony said, unplugging Peter’s suit. Peter stuck his tongue out as if to prove his age, snatching the suit up. “How’s the science project going?”

“Great, actually,” Peter said. “I found a bunch of parts in trash outside of Oscorp.”

“That’s a bit concerning. Go on.”

“I’m not telling you what it is,” Peter said mischievously. Tony raised an eyebrow.

“That’s fine. I’ll just come by to see what it is for myself,” Tony said. Peter looked at his suspiciously. “What’s with that look?”

“Why’d you say it so weird?”

“I didn’t.”

“What are you going to do?” Peter asked accusingly. Tony held his hands up in surrender motion.

“Jesus, nothing. Can’t a boss swing by to see his pupil win a science fair?”

“They’re not going to believe I did on my own if you’re there,” Peter complained.

“You complain people don’t believe your internship, then you complain about people believing your internship. It’s hard to win with you, Pete,” Tony said dramatically. Peter rolled his eyes fondly while packing up his stuff.

“Your incognito disguise isn’t very good,” Peter said.

“Incognito disguise is redundant,” Tony pointed out, leaning back in his chair. “Whatever. Have a good night. Don’t stay out too long.”

“I have May to lecture me about the importance of curfew, Mr. Stark,” Peter called back as he walked out of the lab. Tony let his smile drop when Peter was out of sight, turning back to the articles FRIDAY still had up regarding Lagos. He sighed and started to look at his messages.

* * *

Tony wished he could have talked to the rest of the team before arriving with Ross, but it was clear things were never in his favor. He sat in the back of the room as everyone filtered in. Steve already had a look of determination and suspicion on his face. He made eye contact with Tony, giving him a disappointed look. Tony shared a hug with Rhodey when he walked in, nodding at Sam. The most surprising entrance was that of Maximoff, who was hunched over with her arms wrapped around herself.

Ross started giving his speech, earning the annoyance of everyone in the room. He told them that they’re not viewed as heroes but vigilantes. That put an uneasy feeling in Tony’s stomach as he thought about a certain vigilante swinging around. Ross flashed some pictures of the destruction they leave behind. Rhodey saw the damage done and New York and recoils, looking back to see the rest of the team’s reaction. Sam noticeably looked torn when Ross showed them Washington D.C. Wanda stopped looking when Lagos was on screen. Steve let out a sigh in annoyance, telling him to turn it off.

Then Ross introduced the Sokovia Accords, setting down the thick document for them to pass around. Ross made the message clear. Either they would sign onto it, or they would be retired. Upon Ross leaving, the team immediately started debating.

“117 countries want to sign this, Sam. 117 countries, and you’re just like no it’s cool?” Rhodey criticized. Vision got everyone’s attention with his thoughts.

“Our very strength invites challenge, challenge incites conflict, and conflict breeds catastrophe,” Vision explained softly. Rhodey gave a smug look to Sam who looked like he was considering what Vision was explaining to him.

“Tony?” Natasha called out. Tony looked in between his fingers. “You’re being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal.”

“That’s because he’s already made up his mind,” Steve said. Tony rolled his eyes discreetly.

“Oh, you know me so well,” Tony muttered, sitting up. He walked around, clearing his throat. “This isn’t a decision, you guys. This is going to be pushed onto us whether you want it to or not. We need to be put in check because that’s how the world works. No one in this world is boundless except the people we fight to take down. You realize that, don’t you? If we can’t except our limitations as heroes, then we’re no better than the bad guys.”

“We offer not taking responsibilities for our actions,” Steve explained. “This document just shifts the blame.” Tony let out a sigh.

“How can you shift the blame, Cap, if you don’t own up to it in the first place?” Tony retorted. “Jesus, you claim we can’t save everyone, sure, then why are you complaining when the UN decides that it happens under their jurisdiction?”

“Steve, 117 countries,” Rhodey added. “This is the United Nations, not the United States government, not S.H.I.E.L.D., not H.Y.D.R.A.—”

“No, but it’s run by people with agendas, and agendas change—” Steve explained.

“That’s a good thing,” Tony said. “Do you think we have the same agendas we did when you were in the 40s?” Tony laughed. “When we were making our own concentration camps for Japanese Americans or when we still had Jim Crow implemented? You have an agenda. That doesn’t make it better than everyone else’s.” Steve looked frustrated as Tony continued to explain. “Being Captain America isn’t a right, Steve. It should be an honor, one which you’re abusing—”

“Abusing?” Steve scoffed. “I’m abusing it by wanting to keep my right to choose—”

“You can choose to do whatever you want to while you’re Steve Rogers,” Tony said just as fiercely. “Cops can choose to do what they want when they’re not on duty. That doesn’t mean they don’t face consequences when things go wrong or if they ignore the rules.”

“What happens if someone needs us and they won’t let us go?” Steve argued.

“Who’s they?” Tony asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

“The government,” Steve said like it was obvious.

“The United Nations,” Rhodey corrected. “If a country decides to not let you handle a terrorist conflict, then it isn’t your decision to bust in and try to save the day anyway. You’re being too close-minded if you think something like New York is going to happen again and they’re not going to ask for your assistance. However, something like Lagos could’ve been entirely avoided if you weren’t there. Crossbones happened because _Captain America_ was there, Steve.”

“This isn’t a choice, Steve,” Tony said. “It will be a rebellion, one you can avoid if you just sign on and work with them. It’s arrogant to think that one man knows better than 117 countries can decide. By not signing this, you’re spitting in the face of the countries whose people died because of your decisions.”

“We can’t save everyone, Tony,” Steve reiterated.

“Why don’t you tell them that?” Tony chuckled humorlessly. “This isn’t just about responsibility. It’s about trust.”

“You would have rather us do nothing when people are being attacked?” Steve argued. “New York? The nuke? Sokovia?”

“The UN isn’t going to tell you to sit down and watch something destroy and entire city,” Rhodey reasoned. “This isn’t going to be the final document,” Rhodey said referring to the Accords, “probably nowhere near. If you go off and do something stupid, you’re just going to be proving why it’s needed.”

“Doctors need permission for everything they do,” Tony explained. “Even if they know better than the patient, they need their explicit permission to do anything. Sometimes they can’t do anything if a patient has a DNR. What do you think would happen if we just allowed doctors to do what they thought was best all the time?”

“That’s not the same thing,” Steve asserted.

“Their lives are in their hands just like citizens and countries are in yours,” Tony said. “I’m not going to let them control you. By the time we’re done with this, they’ll be guidelines not a remote control.”

“So we’re supposed to trust you?” Steve scoffed. “After you went out of your way to keep things from us.”

“And now I’m paying the price, aren’t I?” Tony said. “You want to say a little something about keeping things from people?” Sam’s eyes widened when he realized what he was getting at. Everyone else looked confused, looking back and forth between Steve and Tony for an explanation.

“What are you talking about?”

“What were you doing in Lagos?” Tony asked. Steve snorted and looked around like he couldn’t believe he was having this conversation.

“I was apprehending Crossbones.”

“What were you really doing in Lagos?” Tony tried again. Steve stood up.

“I don’t know what you’re getting at, but this proves nothing.”

“Is that why you don’t want oversight?” Tony asked quietly. “Too many things to hide?” Steve narrowed his eyes.

“Tony, what is this about?” Natasha asked. Their conversation is interrupted when Steve got a message, claiming he needed to leave. Tony stared after him in frustration, taking a seat. “You want to explain?”

“I’m good,” Tony dismissed.

“This conflict between you and Steve isn’t going to help anything,” Natasha said softly.

“Yeah, tell him that,” Tony retorted. “Unless this is your way of telling me that you agree with him.”

“That’s not what I said,” Natasha sighed. “I just don’t think this is going to be a good idea going forward.”

“Maybe you should assess your priorities. It’s not just about us anymore,” Tony said, straightening his jacket before leaving. He met Sam’s eyes when he walked out. He was driving back to the tower when he got an alert from FRIDAY. Peggy Carter was dead.

* * *

Tony flew to the funeral in London, not making it about him despite him knowing Peggy years longer than Steve. It was a smack in the face to see Steve sitting there surrounded by the people who knew her for years, who knew her husband and kids. Tony wasn’t surprised when Sharon Carter got up to give a speech, though a bit concerned with Steve’s piqued interest.

Tony, Rhodey, Vision, and Natasha have signed the accords, much to the displeasure of Steve. Wanda is mostly closing herself up in her room, ignoring the advice of Natasha and Steve alike. Tony’s a bit disappointed in Sam.

“I saw your reaction to D.C.,” Tony brought up. Sam sighed.

“You realize we’re doing something very illegal in our own time, right?” Sam brought up, taking a jab at Barnes. Tony snorted.

“Barnes is ready to sign the accords. Of course, he also has a record. We have to fix things first.”

“Barnes wants to sign the Accords?” Sam said in disbelief. “Bullshit. He’s been controlled most of his life at this point.”

“It’s not control,” Tony corrected. “Barnes wants to establish trust. What better way to do that?”

“He wouldn’t get that choice unless we were secretly doing this,” Sam muttered, eyes flickering around to make sure they weren’t being overheard.

“One, I’m doing this as Tony Stark. I’m not asking for the Falcon’s help. I asked for Sam’s. The UN can’t control me or my company if it were to be involved,” Tony explained quietly. “And, trust me, I don’t plan on doing anything this secretive ever again in my life. I’ve earned more gray hairs in the past month than I have the past few years.”

“It still doesn’t feel right.”

“Do what you want,” Tony sighed. “I can’t force you to do anything, and I want you to know that. The UN can’t force you to do anything either, but they can establish consequences. That’s what I’ve been trying to convince Cap.”

The conversation wasn’t ideal, but it wasn’t surprising. What surprised Tony was when Wanda cornered him to talk in the compound. Tony was ready for a fight when she snuck up behind him in the kitchen.

“Jesus,” Tony said, putting a hand to his chest in alarm. She looked nervous, not a look he usually saw on her face when she was addressing him.

“I want to sign them,” Wanda admitted quietly. Tony was quiet for a few moments, actually speechless. She noticed his shocked expression. “No one’s happy with me. I read the comments online. They don’t trust me. They don’t want me to save them.”

“Uh,” Tony said, still shocked.

“I realize what I did was wrong,” she said it quietly, like she was still reluctant to admit it. “Steve keeps telling me it’s not my fault, but it doesn’t feel right. I kept being angry at you because people were more upset at me than they were at you. I just want it to stop.”

“So you want to sign…” Tony whispered mostly to himself, putting down his mug of coffee. “You realize your situation is different. You don’t have any training. You’re not going to be able to go on _any_ missions until you’ve gained moderate control.” Wanda looked pained for a few moments before nodding. “I know someone…”

“I’m sorry.” That sentence did it all for Tony, effectively knocking the breath out of his. “For blaming you and for the visions.”

“I’m sorry,” Tony said back, not knowing what else to say. “For Sokovia and everything that happened.” Wanda shrugged, looking at the ground. “You can’t leave, by the way. People are still out for your head after Lagos. If you leave, I can’t protect you, neither can Vision.”

“So I’m trapped here?” Wanda whispered.

“You’re living in one of the most expensive residences in New York,” Tony pointed out. “I wouldn’t call it trapped. Knowing you’ve signed the Accords will already work in your favor. I’ll bring some people by later to make everything official. Be ready.”

After that conversation, Tony was everything to start going a lot smoother, then Vienna happened. The king of Wakanda was dead, and James Barnes’ face was all over the television. Tony was going to tear his own hair out.

“Hey, quick question. Where are you right now?” Tony asked casually.

“Not in Vienna,” Barnes responded casually.

“Yeah, that’s good, but I’m also very concerned if you’re not at the tower with your head in the sand.” Barnes didn’t respond. “Jesus, Barnes, where are you?”

“Brooklyn.” Tony pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment while he resisted the urge to scream.

“Why?” Tony asked calmly.

“I was having a good day and wasn’t expecting someone to kill the king of Wakanda, that’s why,” Barnes growled back. “Now I’m hiding in an abandoned building since I just saw my face on TV.”

“That’s a great idea,” Tony responded, running a hand over his face stressfully.

“You want to explain to me what’s going on?” Barnes asked.

“As soon as I get a whiff, sure,” Tony said. “Definitely stay out of sight. Pretty sure there’s a shoot to kill order.”

“Yeah? No shit. I just killed a king,” Barnes snarked.

“I’ll get back as soon as I can,” Tony reassured him.

* * *

“Steve’s in Romania,” Sam informed Tony. Tony stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.

“What?”

“Steve’s in Romania.”

“Shit, that’s cutting it close,” Tony whispered.

“Did you leave a trail?” Sam asked.

“Did I leave a trail? Of course I didn’t leave a trail. I’m offended you’d even ask,” Tony said. “God, why would he do that? Things are already bad enough with him not signing the Accords. He’s going to get arrested.” Sam nodded along regretfully. “What’s his plan?”

“He has Sharon Carter’s aid,” Sam explained. “He wants to get to Barnes before the task force. I don’t know where he plans on going, but it’s clear he doesn’t expect to come out on top of things.”

“He’s going to become a fugitive?” Tony whispered. Sam nodded his head slowly. “This is all going wonderfully.”

“What are you going to do about Barnes?”

“I’m trying to figure out a way to prove his innocence right now,” Tony answered in a frustrated tone. “I was this close to revealing him to the public.”

“Who has motivations for framing Barnes?” Sam asked. Tony barked out a laugh.

“With over 200 assassinations, probably a lot of people,” Tony answer bitterly. “That doesn’t explain anything though. Barnes already has a lot of things to account for, they could take him down by just giving him up to the police. I don’t they’re going after Barnes.”

“Who else?” Tony looked over at Sam with raised eyebrows.

“Who’s on their way to make sure Barnes doesn’t get taken right now?” Tony prompted. Sam closed his eyes when he realized.

“Steve is falling right into whoever’s trap this is?” Sam muttered. Tony shrugged.

“We don’t know what they want to do with Steve. First, we have to figure out who they are.”

“Is Barnes safe?”

“For now,” Tony said, anxiety building up. For a moment, his mind flickered to Peter, desperately hoping the kid wasn’t swinging around. Tony shot a text off, telling him to keep the vigilante thing under wraps for now.

“I’ve been thinking about what you’ve said,” Sam said. Tony looked up at him. “About the Accords. I’m going to sign.” Tony’s eyes went round. “Not if you stare at me like that.”

“Sorry, it’s just, you’re the second person to surprise me like that. Well, third if you count Natasha, but she did a lot earlier than you.” Sam frowned.

“Who’s the other?”

“Wanda.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Sam chuckled. “Wanda, the girl who was set on killing you a couple of months ago, signed the Accords?”

“You could act a little bit less surprised. I am right, you know. This is the only way she’s going to get anyone to trust her.”

“I guess,” Sam said, looking surprised himself.

“You realize that, if you do this, you might have to aid us in hunting down Rogers if he does something stupid, which it looks like he’s going to do.” Sam looked pained but nodded.

“Why are you telling me this after I’ve already agreed? I know.”

“I’m not trying to trick you, Sam. I just want you to know what’s probably about to go down.”

“I’m also here to make sure Barnes is safe,” Sam explained. “If he doesn’t come out okay, then this all would have been for nothing.” Tony gave Sam a tight smile.

“It’ll be fine.”

* * *

Peter’s tweet honoring the late King T’Chaka was gaining quite the attention, helping the news go viral on Twitter. Tony opened to app reluctantly, scared to see the reactions. Sadly, Barnes’ name was also trending. There was a lot of confusion as to why he would do this. Everyone seemed to be in a panic these days after this and Lagos.

The Accords was also constantly being discussed since they were ratifying it. Things were getting fired up on both sides. Since it was Twitter, both sides naturally assumed they were right. Peter was naturally retweeting tweets tagged with #proaccords. It was a bit concerning since Tony hadn’t talked to him about them yet, but Peter was a smart kid.

The news about Wanda signing the Accords had gotten out after a while, and people weren’t shy about leaving their opinions. It was quite the mixture. For some, it only further proved why the Accords were a bad idea since they weren’t fans of Wanda. For others, it improved Wanda’s image almost immediately.

Tony put FRIDAY on the search to get as much information as she could about the bombing while keeping tabs on Steve. Tony really needed a stress reliever, but it didn’t seem like he was going to get one any time soon. Tony got a call from Barnes.

“Are you almost back to New York?” Barnes asked.

“I’m getting there. Why?”

“Steve knows where I am.” Tony sat up abruptly.

“What? How? Where are you? How do you know that?”

“I’m still in Brooklyn. I know that because I can see him outside.”

“How do you know he knows you’re there? Jesus, aren’t you supposed to be better about covering your tracks?” Tony started to panic.

“I don’t know. He’s walking in. I’ve got to go. I’m going to destroy the phone. I may be in custody by the time you get here.”

“Custody?”

“Well, I’m not going to let myself get shot, and I’m not going on the run with him,” Barnes snarked.

“Shit,” Tony growled. “I’ll get some lawyers ready. Don’t say anything. Don’t get shot.”

“I’ll try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The support for this has been endless and I'm so grateful :)


	11. Chapter 11

“Buck,” Steve called out Barnes’ name softly. Barnes resisted the urge to roll his eyes, thinking of all the times Tony called him that jokingly. “They’re coming for you. We have to go.”

“They weren’t coming for me until you led them to me,” Barnes muttered, peeking out of the window in annoyance. “How did you find me?”

“We have to go,” Steve pleaded. “You remember me, don’t you?” Barnes ignored him, sighing to himself when he saw the familiar black uniforms. Barnes took the gun off his person, setting down on the table in plain sight. Barnes went to open the door. “What are you doing?”

“Turning myself in,” Barnes said like it was obvious. Steve’s eyes went wide.

“What? No, you can’t do that!”

“Listen, punk,” Steve’s eyes widened at the familiar nickname. “If you don’t want to get arrested, you better take a hike.” Steve’s face softened, and he stared at Barnes’ face for a while. He eventually took the shield off of his back, setting it next to the gun.

“Till the end of the line,” Steve said. Barnes narrowed his eyes at the familiar line but said nothing. He turned to open the door, letting the soldiers come to them. Unsurprisingly, Barnes found himself on the floor with a knee on his back and cuffs on his wrists. Steve protested loudly, telling them not to hurt Barnes despite having cuffs on his own wrists.

They were taking Barnes out to the armed vehicles when Barnes something out of the corner of his eyes. Looking out of the window was a man dressed up completely in a cat costume. At least, it looked like a cat. They stared at Barnes, barely moving. Barnes squinted at them before he was pushed into the vehicle and strapped down into the holding cell.

Tony arrived a few minutes after Barnes, already incredibly stressed. He made eye contact with Steve. He waited for the super soldier to stand up and confront him, but he didn’t Tony realized that he didn’t know that Tony was involved with Barnes yet.

“Tony,” Steve breathed out. “He didn’t do it.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Tony responded, earning the surprised reactions from everyone in the room except Sam.

“You have to do something,” Steve pleaded. “The new king of Wakanda is trying to charge him with terrorism.”

“Not surprising, you’ve only got one suspect,” Tony said.

“This isn’t a joke!” Steve yelled, finally standing up. Tony raised his hands up.

“I’m already working on it, but you have to do your part.”

“What does that mean?” Steve asked, narrowing his eyes.

“If you sign the accords, I could get a better case for having Barnes transferred to an American psych facility instead of Wakandan prison,” Tony explained. Steve looked a bit relieved even though he was still considering the idea.

“Alright,” Steve breathed. “Fine, I’ll do it.” Tony threw his head back and groaned.

“Finally,” Tony said. “Now we can start working to get Wanda cleared—”

“What about Wanda?” Steve asked, frowning in confusion. Tony just stared at him for a bit.

“Well, she did blow up the side of the building. We have to work on her image after that and that YouTube video you posted. She’s being kept at the compound right now—”

“Kept?” Steve repeated in disgust, groaning and shaking his head. “Tony—”

“I’m working on it, okay? She’s not a U.S. citizen and she doesn’t have a visa, but she’s signed the Accords, so things are looking up.”

“She’s just a kid,” Steve groaned before pausing. “What? She signed the Accords?”

“One, she’s definitely not a kid,” Tony said, thinking back to a certain vigilante again. “Two, yes, she signed the Accords.”

“Tony, how could you make her do that?”

“I didn’t make her do anything!” Tony defended. “She came to me and told me herself!”

“Like I’m going to believe that,” Steve scoffed. “This grudge has gone too far. You can’t keep her locked up in the compound—”

“She’s not locked up. She’s staying out of the public eye,” Tony corrected. Steve ignored him, getting up and leaving the room without signing the Accords. Tony groaned to himself and sat down. Sam sat down next to him.

“What’re you going to do?” He asked quietly.

“First, we need to talk to T’Challa,” Tony muttered in response. Sam raised an eyebrow. “He wants Barnes head. If we can convince him that he’s not to blame, he could be very helpful in finding out who really did this.”

“Good luck with that,” Sam snorted. “He was about to go hunt down Barnes himself.”

“What do you mean?” Tony asked. Sam snorted, shaking his head in disbelief.

“He’s the Black Panther,” Sam said. Tony looked around before shaking his head at Sam. “It’s like Wakanda’s warrior, or something like that. He’s superpowered up and everything.”

“What?” Tony scoffed.

“I swear. He showed up in a costume and everything, and,” Sam leaned in, “I think it’s made entirely out of vibranium.”

“I thought he was supporting the Accords,” Tony groaned. “Why is he dressing up and becoming a vigilante now?” Sam leaned back and shrugged.

“Grief does that to people,” Sam said softly. “Makes you irrational and desperate. I doubt he’s really processed it all. He’s too focused on revenge.” Tony sat quietly, taking in what Sam was telling him. Finding out about his parents’ death had been life changing, making him realize the way people like Steve and Natasha were treating him was something he did not have to put up with.

“Do we tell him the truth?” Tony mumbled.

“Excuse me, the truth? About what? Telling him that Barnes didn’t do it isn’t very convincing.”

“So we tell where he was when it all went down, how I’ve been keeping him…”

“You want to tell a king that you’ve been breaking the law and keeping a fugitive who’s a suspect for killing his father that you’ve been hiding him?” Sam asked slowly.

“Having a king corroborate the story of Barnes’ innocence when this inevitably goes to court would be astounding,” Tony reasoned. “Even if the rest of the world still believes he did it.”

“You’re still risking a lot,” Sam added. “You don’t know this dude.”

“Yeah, well—”

“Tony,” Natasha jogged into the room, looking very concerned. “There’s a problem with Barnes.”

* * *

Wanda jogged to the window when she saw what looked to be an explosion. Vision was beside her in a second, staring out the window with a grave expression. For a second, Wanda was terrified someone was doing something to get back at her. What if they were going to blow up the compound just because of her? Vision told her to stay put before morphing through the glass to check out the scene.

Wanda watched for a while before she sensed someone nearby. She tensed up, using her powers to grab a knife, which ended up being aimed Clint. Clint looked amused, pushing away the knife.

“Guess I should have knocked,” Clint said playfully. Wanda’s heart was ready to pound out of her chest.

“Oh, my god. What are you doing here?” She asked, genuinely confused as to why the retired man had broken into the compound.

“Disappointing my kids,” Clint muttered. He shot a couple of arrows at the wall. “We were supposed to go water skiing, but Cap needs our help. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and was leading her out before Vision reappeared.

“Clint, you should not be here,” Vision warned.

“Really? I retired for like, what, five minutes, and it all goes to shit,” Clint snarked.

“Please consider the consequences of your actions,” Vision stated calmly. Clint pretended to think.

“Okay, they’re considered.” Wanda flinched violently when the arrows effectively trapped Vision, causing him to struggle. “Okay, we gotta go.” Clint started running off, but Wanda stayed put. “It’s this way,” Clint called out playfully.

“I’ve caused enough problems,” Wanda said guiltily. Clint looked a bit annoyed before jogging back.

“You gotta help me, Wanda. You wanna mope? You can go to high school. You wanna make amends? You gotta get off your ass,” Clint explained. “Shit,” he said when Vision broke free. Vision and Clint began to fight until Vision got Clint into a hold he couldn’t get out of.

“You cannot overpower me,” Vision said.

“No, but she can,” Clint said, nodding towards Wanda. Wanda stared at him, feeling a bit pained at Clint’s desperate expression.

“I am making amends, Clint, but I’m doing it the right way,” Wanda said. Clint frowned and scoffed.

“Wanda, you don’t have to stay trapped here anymore. Neither Stark nor Vision can stop you from what you want to do.”

“I want to stay here,” Wanda said softly. “I signed the Accords.” Clint’s eyes went wide. “It’s time for you to leave.” Wanda nodded at Vision who let Clint go after a few seconds. Clint stood there for a few second, still looking shocked at Wanda.

“You’re just going to ignore Cap’s call?” Clint said angrily.

“Call for what?” Wanda asked, having no idea what he’s talking about.

“With Barnes, his best buddy,” Clint explained. “And some super soldiers they’re trying to get to before everything goes to shit.”

“What are you talking about?” Wanda asked, frowning and shaking her head. “Does Tony know about this?”

“It’s ‘Tony’ now?” Clint scoffed. “Of course he doesn’t know about it. He’s the one willing to sell Cap out.”

“It sounds serious. Why wouldn’t Stark know about it?”

“Is that why you don’t want to come,” Clint said, sounding a bit relieved. “You don’t know what’s going on.” Wanda looked at Vision, who was starting to stand protectively in front of her.

“What do you mean?”

“They found James Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier,” Clint started to explain. This didn’t strike any particular chords in Wanda’s memory. “He’s innocent, but Stark is trying to get him and Steve arrested. That can’t happen for multiple reasons, but mainly because they need to stop some other dangerous super soldiers.”

“Why don’t we just tell Tony?” Wanda deadpanned. Clint rolled his eyes.

“I know it’s hard to look past all of this,” Clint said, motioning to the expensive compound around him, “but Stark isn’t as nice as he tries to make himself out to be.” Wanda looked like she was considering what he said for a moment before shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, Clint. I don’t think you understand.” Clint looked frustrated and was about to talk again before Wanda interrupted. “I’ve been inside his mind. I know more of what he’s like than any of you.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that Cap needs our help,” Clint argued.

“And I’m going to get Stark’s,” Wanda said. “Whether or not you choose to accept it isn’t my problem. If you’re not going to, it’s time for you to leave.” Clint looked angered but moved to leave upon seeing the expression on Vision’s face.

* * *

Tony saw Barnes’ stiff stance from around the corner and cursed to himself. They had been so close to getting rid of the triggers, and he wasn’t sure how this would affect their progress. He hoped that Barnes resisted for the most part, but there were still some barriers they had been working to get past. Tony readied his gauntlet before going to attack Barnes. Barnes’ eyes widened for all of a second, making Tony think he recognized him before the soldier took over.

Tony was still recovering when he found out Barnes had escaped, and Steve and Sam were gone. Tony didn’t know how things could go so wrong so quickly. If he had to bet, he was willing to say that they were all together, and that’s the conclusion everyone else came to. Natasha asked if he was okay, and he said he was even though he felt like he could throw up in panic.

Ross was cocky when he talked to him, but Tony had to stay calm, asking for a couple of day to get them back. He had no way of getting in contact with Barnes, especially since they probably thought he was helping Steve escape.

Later, Tony got a call from Vision and Wanda, both explaining how Clint had showed up at the compound to get Wanda. Despite the bad news that Steve had clearly pulled Clint out of retirement to help him with this spineless plan he was cooking up, Tony felt an enormous amount of relief at the fact that Wanda was sitting tight and called to let him know what was going on. He reminded himself that he should probably buy her the acoustic guitar she was looking at online.

“Do you have a plan?” Natasha asked when Ross left. “Steve’s building up a team.”

“So do we, kind of,” Tony said.

“Are Wanda and Vision on board?” Tony snorted and frowned at her.

“Wanda isn’t going anywhere,” Tony said like it was obvious. Natasha narrowed her eyes at him, standing in a stiff position.

“Tony, this isn’t the time—”

“She’s still got a target on her back,” Tony interrupted tiredly. “I’m not going to take her out of the country.” Natasha stared at him for a while.

“Do you have someone else in mind?” Natasha asked, scrutinizing him. “You keep tabs on people. Have you thought about that man in Queens—” Tony snorted, shaking his head. Natasha gave him an interested look.

“Yeah, no,” Tony said.

“Why not? Do you need me to go get him? Recruiting might not be your thing, but it is—”

“We’re not involving him, so drop it,” Tony grumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“Then what’s your plan, Stark?” Natasha sighed, annoyed. “You’re trying to stop two super soldiers, Clint, and whoever else he brings.”

“He doesn’t know that many people,” Tony snorted. “Anybody else he brings will be through Clint, and they’d having to be willing to break the law. So none of his old S.H.I.E.L.D. buddies.”

“That doesn’t explain how you think you’re going to track them down.”

“I’ve got something up my sleeve,” Tony reassured her. “If you want to help, you’re going to have to trust me.” Natasha looked uneasy at this explanation, too used to knowing everything before everyone else. She stared at him for a few seconds before nodding.

* * *

Sam was looking at Barnes uneasily as he started to stir. Steve looked relieved, asking which Bucky he was talking to. Barnes just groaned, ignoring him. Sam could see the panic in his eyes, something he never saw when they were working to get rid of his triggers.

“Where am I?” Barnes grunted out.

“Why don’t you answer my questions first?” Steve said asserted. Barnes looked to Sam, frowning at him confusion. Sam looked apologetic, shrugging and nodding towards Steve. “What did he want with you?” Barnes was irritated, but there was also a deep feeling of dread that was rising in his stomach as he thought back to his interaction with Zemo. Barnes had tried so hard to push past the barrier that we keeping him locked up in his own mind, but he could remember the mission report that Zemo desperately wanted from him.

“He wanted to know a mission report,” Barnes muttered, looking up at Sam.

“Why? What’s so important about it?” Steve had his captain voice on. Barnes looked reluctant to say anything, but it didn’t look like anything was going to happen while he was pinned down like this under Steve’s supervision.

“I’m not the only soldier.”

* * *

“But, Mr. Stark, I can help!” Peter’s excited voice cried out through the phone.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in school?” Tony asked, getting ready to board the plane.

“I am!”

“Point proven, you’re not coming.”

“But you got me this new suit and everything! I’ve mastered it—” Peter’s rant was cut off by Tony’s laugh.

“Mastered it? You almost got a concussion a week ago from slamming into the side of a building.”

“Yeah, a week ago. I’ve mastered it now,” Peter appealed.

“Does your aunt want you to go?” Tony inquired. Peter was silent, making Tony smirk.

“She doesn’t have to—”

“Yeah, okay,” Tony interrupted. “I’m going to stop you right there because I require explicit guardian permission.”

“Since when?” Peter stressed.

“Since I found out you were Spiderman,” Tony admitted, leaning back in his seat. “Why don’t you focus more on school and clubs. SAT and ACT tests are around the corner.”

“I don’t care about tests,” Peter grumbled.

“Ah, there’s the grumpy teen I was looking for. Tell May hi for me.”

“I will not,” Peter grumbled some more before they ended their call. Rhodey walked onto the plane and sat near Tony.

“So, this was a bit unexpected,” Rhodey said. Tony gave an unamused look. Rhodey cracked a smile at the expression, “What’s the plan?”

“To stop whatever Rogers’ plan is,” Tony deadpanned. Natasha sat down next to them.

“Where’s the king?” Rhodey asked.

“He’s too good for Stark Industries air travel,” Natasha said, smiling at Tony. Tony just shrugged and went back to his explanation.

“We’re going to Germany because that’s where he’s at, and that’s where he’s meeting the rest of his crew. Vision and T’Challa will already be there, and we’re going to apprehend them.” Natasha and Rhodey stared at him blankly, waiting for him to continue. “That’s it.”

“Okay…” Rhodey said. “That’s cool, but that’s not really a plan. It’s more of a goal.”

“Tony, are you taking this seriously?” Natasha sighed. “This is the Winter Soldier we’re dealing with.” Tony resisted rolling his eyes and explaining how they were probably dealing with more of a kidnapping at this point.

“I’ve got a plan. I’ve already told you this,” Tony stressed. That was technically a lie. What he really had was another goal, a goal that involved Barnes being in control instead of the Soldier. Natasha looked peeved at the entire situation. Rhodey was giving him concerned glances but remained silent, nonetheless.

When Tony and Rhodey arrived at the airport, he would admit that he was more than surprised to see Barnes walking beside Steve willingly. There was a drop in his stomach, hoping he hadn’t been tricked for the past few months into helping someone that didn’t want to be helped. Then Tony saw the relieved look on Barnes face and told himself to calm down.

Natasha, Vision, and T’Challa arrived shortly after, T’Challa looking for blood. Tony hadn’t exactly had time to sit down with him and explain that they weren’t actually looking to injure Barnes. What pissed Tony off was Clint showing up all smugly with this random dude who called himself Ant-Man. Sam stood nearby, but Tony didn’t have time to feel betrayal.

“Tony, you don’t understand what’s at stake here,” Steve called out when they were close enough.

“Yeah? Why don’t you just tell me that and let the assassin go?” Tony snarked back. Steve held an arm out in front of Barnes.

“He’s innocent,” Steve all but growled.

“Yeah, I know that,” Tony called back, earning the surprised glances from T’Challa and Rhodey along with Clint and the ant guy by Steve’s side. “Becoming a fugitive isn’t going to help with anything. Just tell me what’s going on.”

“You can’t help us,” Steve scoffed. “You signed the Accords.”

“Are you doing something illegal?” Tony asked.

“We can’t tell the UN about this. If they find out, then they can exploit what we have to deal with.” Tony looked at Barnes to see if Steve was just spewing bullshit, but he had a grave expression on his face.

“What’s you plan afterwards, then?” Tony questioned. “You go handle business and come back to the States to live happily ever after with your BFF? If you don’t give yourself up, Rogers, I can’t help you.”

“You gave up your ability to help when you signed the Accords,” Steve dismissed. “This is bigger than that, bigger than us.”

“And your pride is too big to include us in on it?”

“There are more super soldiers,” Barnes finally called out, fed up with the conversation. He had held onto the hope that Steve would indulge in his team what was going on, but that clearly wasn’t going to happen. Steve had a betrayed expression when he turned to look at him. Everyone besides Tony and Sam looked surprised at Barnes confession. “The man who triggered me, Zemo, is after them. They’re more powerful than us.”

“Are you kidding me?” Rhodey spat, looking at Tony in disbelief before looking back at Steve. “How could you keep something like that from us?”

“Keep something like that?” Steve scoffed. “Like Tony kept Ultron from us? I was keeping these soldiers out of the grubby hands of the government.”

“This guy almost killed us after a single man hacked our systems and whispered a few words to him,” Rhodey argued back, walking closer. “And you’re telling me that there are more like him that are stronger? This isn’t just about governments, this is about the citizens whose lives you’re putting at risk by not telling us the danger we’re facing!”

“If you tell the UN, they’re going to take them and then they’re going to take Bucky,” Steve pleaded.

“No one is going to take Barnes,” Tony said. Tony nodded at Barnes and tried not to look smug when the ex-assassin calmly walked over to Tony’s side, surprising both teams. Steve stared at Barnes in complete surprise before his head snapped to glare at Tony.

“What did you do to him?” Steve growled, walking menacingly towards Tony. “What did you do? You can’t order him around like that! He’s a person!”

“Back off, Steve,” Barnes said calmly, putting a hand out before Steve could get closer.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I already have a bodyguard,” Tony said.

“What is going on here?” Rhodey asked, completely baffled.

“Was this your plan, Stark?” Natasha accused, stepping forward. “Gaining control of Barnes?”

“I don’t have control of him,” Tony asserted. “My plan is that I know Barnes, so I know Barnes is innocent. Now that we know that this Zemo guy is the realer murderer, we’re going to hunt him down.”

“I’m sorry, how do you know Barnes?” Natasha asked.

“He and I have a very close connection that I’m sure you know about, actually,” Tony mentioned, thinking about her involvement in the D.C. incident. “Steve too, actually, but now is not the time to discuss that.” Tony turned to T’Challa. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this, your highness, but this man is not who you’re looking for. I just don’t have evidence yet.” T’Challa had taken off his helmet and was studying both Tony and Barnes.

“So you’ve believed me this entire time?” Steve breathed. Tony laughed.

“I don’t actually listen to anything you say. I knew where Barnes was before this entire thing went down. I knew he was innocent the entire time. The only role you’ve played in all of this is reminding me why I can’t trust you. If you want to stand down now, we need to take you in before Ross puts a shoot to kill order on Barnes.”

“You’re still taking him in?” Steve protested, ready to launch forward.

“Of course. You can’t prove someone’s innocence outside of the law, Steve. That’s not how it works,” Tony reasoned.

“You’re lying,” Steve whispered to himself. “This is a trick, isn’t it? Bucky, you can’t go with him!” Tony tensed up when he saw Steve about to resist, putting his helmet back on. Barnes resisted Steve’s grasps. Ant-Man saw his chance to impress Captain America and went small, but Tony didn’t have time to pay attention to that. T’Challa was trying to apprehend Steve who was trying to pull Bucky towards the quinjet. Clint was firing off arrows at Vision, probably still pissed off from before. Sam was trying to convince Rhodey that they were still cool. Tony groaned to himself and started to go after Steve when he felt something go very wrong with his suit.

“Ow! What the hell?” Tony muttered to himself as he felt something shock him. FRIDAY was flashing alerts as certain parts of his suit became compromised.

“Oh, yeah. You’re going to want to take this into the shop,” the ant guy said. Tony cursed to himself.

“Flush him out, FRI,” Tony said desperately, seeing Clint start to go after Barnes while T’Challa and Steve fought. He heard a tiny little scream, but he wasn’t paying attention to it too much. He tried to fly but found his stabilizing systems failing. “Shit. Rhodey, I’m down!”

“I’m on it!” Rhodey said. Tony looked up to see him flying lowly towards the quinjet Steve was heading into with him and Clint dragging Barnes along. Tony felt his jaw drop when something hit Rhodey, making his suit freeze up. Tony looked down to see Natasha looking regretfully at Rhodey as he hit the ground, wincing even though the height was low. She threw one of her Widow Bites at him.

“Natasha, what the fuck!” Tony growled, marching over as fast as he could since he couldn’t fly. Tony’s heart started to pound when the jet powered up. Tony looked over to see T’Challa on the ground, experiencing a similar situation. “Vision! They’re getting away.” The jet started taking off, but Vision was too busy taking care of Rhodey, trying to pry him out of the fried suit before he could get injured. “Shit!” Tony shouted, letting himself out of the suit.

“Tony, I’m—” Natasha started to talk as Tony walked past her to T’Challa.

“Shut up!” Tony growled out, trying to help the king regain control of his movements and senses. “What the fuck were you thinking? Why would you want them to get away?”

“Steve’s right. They need to get to the soldiers before anyone else does.

“I should’ve fucking known better than to have a spy help me,” Tony groaned, pulling T’Challa up. He winced, pulling the helmet off.

“Colonel Rhodes? Is he alright?” T’Challa asked, gripping his own torso. Tony nodded, looking back at Vision who was helping Rhodes stand. When T’Challa confirmed he could stand on his own, Tony powered up the watch gauntlet. Natasha looked peeved instead of concerned.

“Really, Tony?”

“Don’t ‘really, Tony,’ me!” Tony growled. “You just made all three of them fugitives, did you know that? Do you know what happens to those who aid fugitives?”

“You just admitted to knowing Barnes,” Natasha reminded him. “Are we really going to play this game?”

“Are we really going to play this game?” Tony repeated, laughing. “Yeah, because I have a fucking team behind my back and you’re a backstabber who can’t help but remain two-faced. A team minus one, I guess.”

“You’re angry at me right now, but you’ll realize that this is the better way,” Natasha reasoned. Tony chuckled before looking at Rhodey and nodding at Natasha. Rhodey let Vision do the honors of cuffing her. “Is this a joke?”

“Nope. Neither is you letting Steve and Clint kidnap Barnes. Do you know how hard I’ve been working to make sure he was stable before we went to court? Jesus.” Tony turned towards Sam, who had walked over with a grim expression. “Do you know where they’re going?”

“Siberia,” Sam explained. “A H.Y.D.R.A. bunker is located there.” Tony sighed in relief at the news.

“Your highness, do you want to aid me in capturing your father’s real murderer?” Tony asked. T’Challa stood up a bit straighter despite the pain, nodding his head. “The pain won’t last long. We’ll rest up on the way. Vision, I can trust you to get Natasha where she needs to be. Sam, can you take Rhodey to medical?”

“Tony, I’m fine,” Rhodey said.

“Say that to me again when they confirm that you don’t have a concussion,” Tony said, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder. “Also, find that ant guy.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! If you've made it this far, thanks for reading!
> 
> There's actually quite a few things that happen in this chapter, so I hope the wait has been worth it. Also, there's a bonus treat with something that may or may not have been stolen from an Audi's Spiderman commercial.
> 
> I've sort of realized this is basically a rewrite of the MCU where I'm headed, but I don't have everything laid out yet so...we'll see.
> 
> Tell me what you think, and, once again, thanks for reading!

“You realize that this sounds a lot like you’re making excuses for Rogers, right?” One of the UN councilmen said. “And why hasn’t Secretary Ross been told any of this?”

“Oh, because this is my first of what I’m sure will be many requests that Secretary Ross be kept out of this. I bring this exclusively to the panel because it is a sensitive matter. On the Rogers matter, I desire nothing more than to bring him in to serve justice. Sergeant Barnes is a different matter,” Tony explained.

“I suppose we should let him explain before you bring forth objections,” a councilwoman spoke, seeing the reluctant looks of the other members. Tony gave her a grateful smile before pulling up what he knew about Zemo.

“Helmut Zemo is a victim of the Battle of Sokovia, his wife and kids dying as a result,” Tony started. “We all know Sergeant Barnes as the Winter Soldier by now, but what you don’t know is that those are two different entities.”

“Explain,” someone called out, not wanting to pause for dramatic effect.

“A couple of days ago, after we apprehended Barnes, Zemo arrived to pose as our psychiatrist. I recently received news that the man we hired was murdered by our very own.” Tony flashed a picture of what he was sent, making a few of the members flinch. “He was able to bring out H.Y.D.R.A.’s Winter Soldier with just a couple words, making him a very dangerous weapon.”

“If that’s the case, why are you pleading to us to not have a shoot to kill order?” One man asked, leaning forward.

“Because, as far as I know, Zemo is the only one who has access to this, and he’s already achieved his purpose. Barnes, however, is still redeemable. The trigger words can be removed, and we were close to doing so.”

“You were close?” A woman asked. “What does that mean? When could you have been close?”

“I think what Mr. Stark is insinuating is that he has been working with the soldier to remove these ‘triggers.’ He had you fooled,” a member laughed condescendingly. Tony resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Whether or not you want to believe me about Barnes is not our main concern right now,” Tony asserted. “Zemo used the soldier to find out about a mission from years ago involving other soldiers like him.”

“There are more?” The councilwoman from earlier asked, looking around the table.

“That’s where Rogers is headed, and he kidnapped Barnes.”

“Is this an immediate concern? Should we be evacuating any areas?” Someone asked, already pulling out their phone.

“Well, it’s in the middle of Siberia, which is where I’m planning on going,” Tony said smoothly.

“I see,” a man said. “This is your way of asking us permission to apprehend them yourselves. You recognize the bias you face in this situation, don’t you, Mr. Stark?”

“Yes, me and King T’Challa, actually,” Tony said with a grin. “T’Challa is going with the exclusive goal of apprehending Zemo to face trial in Wakanda. I’m going to apprehend Barnes specifically, hoping to get Rogers while I’m there.”

“You’re framing this as a rescue mission?” Someone asked with interest laced in their voice.

“My primary goal after making sure that the soldiers aren’t a threat is to bring Barnes back. If Zemo already has his hands on them, then we’d need more than me and two super soldiers to stop them.”

“Your honesty is appreciated,” the woman said, “but we want Rogers. What happens if he gets away?”

“Rogers is not as much of a threat as Barnes should he be triggered again,” Tony explained with a smile. “If you allow me to finish the job I was already working on, Barnes will no longer be a threat. Some truth could finally come to light.” Tony sat outside while they began to discuss the situation, looking at his watch and tapping his foot.

“Mr. Stark, you will alert us immediately of the circumstances, whether or not you evaluate it to be dangerous or not,” the councilwoman asserted.

“Of course.”

“We will have the task force on standby, ready to take Barnes into custody upon your arrival. If anything goes array, we put our soldier’s lives first. Do you understand?” Tony gave a tight smile.

“Completely.” Upon closing out of the video chat, Tony turned to T’Challa. “You ready?”

“More than ever,” T’Challa answered, finally smiling.

* * *

Barnes was pointing a gun at him when Tony managed to get the bunker door open. He dropped his arms when he realized who it was, a look of relief flashing across his face. Steve’s frigid position didn’t change. Tony took a look around.

“Where’s Barton?” Tony asked.

“Nowhere near here,” Steve answered, still not putting down his shield. Tony shared a look with T’Challa. He nodded before walking past Tony and the super soldiers to walk further into the bunker.

“Congratulations, you’ve made it to the end,” Tony said, walking towards Steve. “It’s over for you.”

“This isn’t about me,” Steve scoffed. “It’s about the other soldiers.”

“You’d better get in here,” Tony heard from his ear. He perked up a little considering T’Challa didn’t sound like he was in immediate danger.

“You’re right,” Tony replied to Steve. “Let’s get this over with.” Tony walked past Steve, Barnes following close behind. Tony didn’t know how to react when he walked in to find all of the soldiers dead. “Well, this was unexpected,” Tony said to T’Challa. “Any sight of Barton?”

“None,” T’Challa replied. He looked like he was about to say something else before Zemo’s voice rang out, teasing them about the soldiers’ deaths. Tony doesn’t say anything when Steve moved closer to talk to the man. Next to him, a video flickered on. Tony recognized what was going on. He and Barnes exchanged a look. Before the video was over, Steve was looking up to see Tony’s reaction, shocked the see that Tony was watching him instead of the video.

“Tony, I…” Steve started to say.

“You what?” From the corner of his eye, Tony could see Zemo smile and saunter off. He barely glanced at T’Challa, who nodded towards him as he started to follow the man. “You want to tell me something?”

“It wasn’t him,” Steve asserted, already moving towards Barnes.

“Yes, it was,” Barnes said, earning an astonished look from Steve.

“No, it wasn’t! Tony, he was brainwashed,” Steve maintained.

“Yeah, sure,” Tony said with a shrug. “But you knew, didn’t you?” Steve blinked at him, looking over at Barnes, who was giving him a similar look.

“I didn’t know it was him,” Steve professed. Tony snorted and looked down at the ground, in shock that he was still denying it.

“Stop lying,” Tony spat. “You knew, didn’t you?” Tony grew closer. Steve stared at him for a moment longer before trying to grab Barnes. Barnes ripped his arm from Steve’ grasp, backing towards Tony.

“It’s over, Steve,” Barnes said dismissively. Steve looked hurt, his eyes widening at how confidently Barnes stood by Tony’s side.

“Buck, you don’t have to let him do this to you,” Steve contended. “Come with me.”

“Mr. Stark, we’ve got a problem. Zemo has been apprehended, but Barton is here,” T’Challa informed him through his earpiece. Barnes looked at Tony when he saw his expression change, realizing he was listening to what T’Challa was saying. Steve saw his chance, throwing one more regretful look Barnes’ way before launching his shield at Tony.

“Shit!” Tony said as the metal frisbee bounced off his helmet. His suit wouldn’t let him fall, but he felt extremely disoriented. He saw Barnes running after Steve, who had gotten his shield back by the unexplainable logic of physics the chunk of metal followed. “They’re headed your way,” Tony informed T’Challa, trying to reorient himself. He walked in the general direction he saw the two heading. By the time he made it outside, Barnes was trying to stop Steve, and T’Challa was battling it out with Clint once again.

Tony headed for Steve, aiding Barnes in taking him down. They were doing pretty well until Tony got distracted by how T’Challa was holding up. Steve took the opportunity of Tony’s distraction to ram his shield into Tony’s arc reactor, effectively making him fall and panic. Tony’s arms immediately went to his chest as his breathing became irregular. Barnes was suddenly standing over him. Tony hadn’t even realized he was on the ground. Barnes helped Tony pop the faceplate open, giving him a decent view of Steve overpowering T’Challa with Clint before the two of them made it into the quinjet. Tony tried to calm himself down and focus on whatever Barnes was telling him.

When he finally managed to regain control of his senses, the biting cold of Siberia smacked him in the face. T’Challa had managed to stand and came over to check on Tony. The pain was starting to kick in, in both his head and chest.

“We have to get him on the jet,” Tony heard T’Challa tell Barnes. “I fear the internal damage Rogers might have caused. We can’t wait for the task force to arrive in this cold.” Tony’s vision went white for a second. He couldn’t pinpoint where the pain was coming from anymore before he passed out.

* * *

Tony wasn’t expecting the first person he opened his eyes to see to be Peter Parker, but the kid was sitting at a nearby table doing homework like he was in his own home. Tony recognized the Avengers compound medical ward. Tony coughed, earning Peter’s attention. The kid jumped up.

“Oh, my god, Mr. Stark!” Peter exclaimed, running over. “You’re awake! The king of Wakanda had to save your life.”

“That’s great kid,” Tony said, wincing at the dryness of his mouth. Peter jogged over to the sink before bringing him back at cup of water. Tony threw it back. “Thanks, kid. No offense, but where is everyone?”

“Well, you’ve been out for a couple days,” Peter explained. “And I was the only one left to babysit you.”

“Babysit me?” Tony repeated. “Why? Where is everyone.”

“Sergeant Barnes’ trial,” Peter answered bluntly. Tony’s eyes bugged out. “You could’ve told me I was grocery shopping for the Winter Soldier, by the way!”

“You were the one who didn’t recognize him,” Tony grunted, wincing as he sat up. Before he realized just how smart Peter was, he hadn’t really been expecting a fourteen-year-old to even know who James Barnes even was. “Jesus, they’re at trial?”

“Helmut Zemo faced trial in Wakanda, pleading guilty,” Peter explained like he was given a note card to read off of. “T’Challa returned to aid in Sergeant Barnes’ case. Everybody’s really surprised. It went trending—”

“You can drop the communications, Pete,” Tony said. “Can you get me a phone?” Peter returned with one that couldn’t have been too far away. Tony opened it up to start finding out what was going on for himself. “So everyone’s gone?”

“Everyone’s in D.C. because you can’t be there, and they know you want Barnes free. They’re kind of mad, but they’re holding it off until you won’t collapse.”

“Collapse,” Tony snorted, shaking his head fondly. “And they sent you here to babysit?”

“Well, I came here to visit, and they all said that they had to leave to D.C., so I offered my services,” Peter said with a bright smile.

“An easy way to convince your aunt to miss school?” Tony said with a smile.

“I’m offended you would suggest that, Mr. Stark. I’m very concerned about your health,” Peter retorted dramatically. “Queens hasn’t seen Spiderman for two entire days because of you.”

“I’m honored,” Tony said.

“Not to bring up the sensitive subject of Captain America escaping so soon…” Peter started to say. Tony looked up to give him a deadpan look.

“No, I do not regret not bringing you,” Tony said. Peter pouted.

“I could have totally helped!” Peter protested. “I could’ve webbed up his feet, and he wouldn’t have been able to move! Easy!” Tony hummed in response. “There’s also some bad news.”

“Bad news? I haven’t seen it yet,” Tony said.

“Yeah, you’re not going to find it online. It’s kind of hush hush right now, well, until it gets leaked.”

“What is it?”

“Just so you know, I should totally have higher clearance as both Peter Parker and Spiderman! No one would tell me anything! I had to use Karen to find out this info.”

“You’re using the AI I created for you to hack into my files?” Tony asked, no real malice.

“I wouldn’t need to if they were provided!” Peter defended himself. “Anyway, Captain Rogers broke into the raft. Now, Black Widow and Ant-Man are free.”

“Natasha was in the Raft?” Tony asked, frowning. Peter nodded. “Fuck, why was she in there?”

“Secretary Ross threw her in with Ant-Man when he found out that she aided in Rogers’ escape.” Tony cursed to himself. “Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man are now fugitives on the run.”

“Great,” Tony sighed, letting his head hit the pillow. Their conversation came to a halt when a nurse walked in to check on Tony, scolding Peter when he didn’t inform them that he was awake. From them, Tony was able to found out about the danger of one of his ribs almost puncturing his lungs. His clavicle was fractured, and he gained a concussion. Vibranium was not a joke.

“Ouch,” Tony said. The doctor smiled and asked him if he wanted his first dose of pain relievers. “Yeah, sure. Why not.”

Tony let Peter explain a little more of what he had missed. It was about thirty minutes later when Vision and Maximoff came to visit.

“Oh, look. My other babysitters,” Tony said. Peter looked sheepish and shrugged. “But I’m sure they couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Mr. Parker was very adamant about being around for your awakening. Miss Potts and Colonel Rhodes approved his being here,” Vision explained.

“It’s fine, Vis,” Tony waved off.

“How are you feeling?” Vision asked, a question he and the rest of the Avengers had to teach him.

“Fine now that the drugs are kicking in. Don’t do drugs,” Tony joked before turning to Peter with a serious expression. Peter stuck his tongue out. “Real mature.”

“Steve did this?” Wanda asked quietly, taking in Tony’s weakened appearance.

“His vibranium shield of his, yes,” Tony answered a bit bitterly. “The thing my father made almost killed me.”

“King T’Challa did inform us of some disturbing news regarding your trip to Siberia,” Vision started in a composed tone.

“If you’re referring to my parents’ deaths, I get it. I’m not crazy. I still want Barnes to come out of this trial not imprisoned in the raft for all eternity,” Tony said bluntly.

“But, why?” Wanda asked, clearly confused by Tony’s motivations.

“I knew about their deaths long before Siberia,” Tony answered, gaining surprised looks from everyone.

“I assume this was when before you invited Sergeant Barnes under your roof,” Vision mentioned. Tony nodded. “I’m not sure I understand your motives.”

“I found out the Winter Soldier killed my parents and that Steve and Natasha probably knew about it. He didn’t just kill my parents, he had over two-hundred successful assassinations. That, and Barnes was still susceptible to the triggers that turns him into the soldier.”

“You brought him back to remove the triggers,” Vision concluded. Tony nodded. “Why not just turn him in and let others handle his treatment?”

“Because he’s a victim as well,” Tony muttered. “The soldier took his life.”

“That’s an honorable way of looking at it,” Vision said, still frowning. Wanda was noticeably passive, looking more at the ground than anyone else. “I imagine your plans had to be reworked when Barnes became accused of murdering the king of Wakanda.”

“Actually, it started with the Accords, which he already agreed to sign,” Tony said. “We were close to getting rid of the triggers when the entire thing happened.”

“This ‘we’ includes Sam Wilson?” Vision asked. Tony nodded.

“Yeah, he was working on Barnes’ PTSD. I’m assuming he’s at the trial too?” Vision and Wanda nodded. “How’s that looking, by the way?”

“King T’Challa’s involvement caused quite a stir, even though his father’s real murderer was found. People weren’t so quick to dismiss his advocation.”

“I’d hope not,” Tony muttered.

“What do you plan to do should they decide to let Barnes be a part of the Avengers?” Vision inquired.

“Finish removing his triggers,” Tony said immediately. “After that? I’m not sure.”

“What about Steve?” Wanda said. “You’re just going to let him get away?” Tony couldn’t help but feel taken back at Wanda’s bitter tone. She seemed to latch onto things pretty quickly.

“He can’t hide forever,” Tony shrugged. “Or maybe he can, but he won’t. After a while, he’ll assume every has gotten over it and come back, ready to resume his position.” Wanda and Peter both scoffed. “Natasha will probably stay hidden. She’s good at this kind of stuff. She’ll try to convince Steve to stay for a while but eventually give up because she has herself to protect. Clint will give himself up because of his family. I don’t know anything about Ant-Man, but I also don’t really care.”

“Not everyone sees things the way you do,” Vision informed him. Tony shrugged.

“Yeah, what’s new?”

“What I mean is, people are taking sides. They’re calling this a civil war.”

“A civil war?” Tony frowned, looking at Peter nodding sheepishly.

“It’s trending. You told me to stop with the communications!” Peter admitted, quickly defending himself.

“True,” Tony resigned. “Explain.”

“The Accords debate is still going on. Some people are just choosing based on whether they like you or Captain Rogers more,” Peter said regretfully. “The public knows about Steve trying to help Barnes and now about you actually helping Barnes. They know you fought about something in Siberia, but they don’t know what.”

“Small mercies,” Tony mumbled.

“Team Captain America wants Steve back in the states as leader of the Avengers again. Team Iron Man wants you to assume the position.”

“What Avengers?” Tony muttered to himself.

“I advise that you rest,” Vision said, not wanting Tony to get too stressed with the news. “The fight took a toll on you. It’s probably best that Mr. Parker prepare himself for school now that you have waken.” Peter gave Vision a betrayed look.

“He’s right, kid. I’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, but you’re not going to let me come back until this is all over. That could take weeks!” Peter complained.

“You’ll be fine. Besides, you still have interning duties.” Peter frowned at him, not sure what he was getting at. “Making @TonyStarkIntern the biggest team Iron Man account on Twitter.”

* * *

“No, I’m not sending you a jet,” Pepper said. Tony frowned.

“What do you mean you’re not sending me a jet? I have my own jets,” Tony retorted.

“You’re not getting on any of them,” Pepper declared. “You have a concussion—”

“More of an exaggerated headache—”

“And a broken clavicle. Everything is going fine. I’m sure we’ll be done by the end of the day,” Pepper assured him.

“Can I talk to Barnes?” Tony tried.

“I can’t get ahold of him. I’m sorry, Tony,” Pepper apologized. “They’re keeping a short leash on him.”

“Just promise you’ll call me as soon as it’s over.”

“As soon as it’s over,” Pepper promised. “Stay in bed.”

“I’ll do my best.” Tony ended the call, feeling even more frustrated as he was confined to bed. He wasn’t even that hurt, but everyone was treating him like he would break. His only company was Vision and Wanda, which made him ponder how he ever got to this point in his life where the girl who wanted to kill him and a lifeform he created from JARVIS were the only thing to keep his bedridden-self company.

Vision seemed very keen on making sure that Tony and Wanda got along. Vision was still getting used to the whole expressing feelings thing, but Tony could tell that he was beyond relieved that Wanda had finally decided to instill trust in Tony.

“I was wondering about the training situation,” Vision brought up when he and Wanda came to eat. They ate in his room with him since they were against him getting out of bed to go any farther than to the bathroom a few feet away.

“Training situation?”

“With Wanda,” Vision clarified, gaining the witch’s attention. “Now that the Accords are looking to be revised, that is.”

“Right,” Tony said. “I know a guy.” Both of them blinked at him.

“You know a guy?” Wanda repeated.

“Another magician? Yeah,” Tony said, taking another bite of the chili they prepared. “The problem is, he doesn’t really like me.”

“Why’s that?” Vision asked.

“Well, I kind of stalked him when I was trying to get help with Barnes. His name is Dr. Stephen Strange. He used to be a neurosurgeon. Now he’s a wizard. I was trying to get help with the B.A.R.F. technology. He helped when Barnes talked to him, but he’s not too fond of me.”

“You know a wizard?” Wanda clarified, sharing a look with Vision.

“I don’t exactly understand the schematics of what they do. They learn their magic. It’s not like the stuff bestowed on Wanda,” Tony explaining, frowning as he tried to remember. “It’s not really telekinetic or telepathic. He kind of just does everything.”

“He sounds like he’d be quite useful to the team,” Vision said.

“I don’t know if he’s too interested in that, but he might help Wanda if you ask,” Tony said with a shrug.

“Me?” Vision clarified.

“You,” Tony nodded. “One, you’re probably the most interesting person they’ll ever come across, not to throw you to the wolves. Two, you have that thing in your head,” Tony said, motioning to his own forehead. “So they’ll probably be interested in what you have to say. Three, I may have already mentioned Wanda’s name.”

“You have?” Wanda asked.

“Yeah, well, I mentioned how you were untrained when I was trying to get help for Barnes,” Tony said, remaining purposefully vague on that conversation. “I haven’t seen him since, though. I don’t know if he follows along with the news.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to give him a call,” Vision said.

“I don’t know about the whole phone situation they have going on there,” Tony commented, “but you can find them at 177A Bleecker Street.”

* * *

Tony one hundred percent used Vision and Wanda’s distraction to finally free himself from his bed prison. FRIDAY, of course, advised him against it, but Tony claimed he was fine since his arm was in a sling. He called Happy to pick him up.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to be out of bed,” Happy mentioned.

“Not until today,” Tony lied smoothly. “I missed you, Happy.” Happy gave him a blank stare that told him he wasn’t falling for the suave compliments. “I’m not going anywhere dangerous, I just need you to take me to midtown.”

“What’s in midtown?” Happy asked, easily skeptical.

“Jesus, you can come inside with me if you’re going to be that paranoid,” Tony reassured him. “Please, Hap. I feel like I’m going stir crazy.”

“One hour,” Happy said. Tony scrunched up his nose.

“Eh, well. We’ll see about that.” Tony gave Happy directions, ignoring the annoyed expression that spread across his face when he rolled into the parking lot of Midtown Tech.

“What is this?” Happy asked dully.

“You know what this is. It’s a high school.”

“It’s _his_ high school,” Happy said bitterly. Tony leaned forward and patted him on the shoulder.

“Yeah, and it’s science fair day! He thought I forgot,” Tony laughed evilly, stepping out of the car. Happy quickly got out after him.

“You made me drive you to a high school, a nerdy tech high school where the kids probably think you’re their nerdy god?” Happy complained. “When you’re in this condition!”

“That’s why I brought my number one man to protect me!” Tony said.

“You brought me because you can’t drive with a recent head injury!” Happy complained as Tony talked towards the gym. Happy pulled a beanie onto Tony’s head, covering up his eyes before Tony could fix it, and then he shoved a pair of sunglasses into his hands.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. It’s getting cold outside, and you have on no disguise,” Happy scolded like a parent. He stared at Tony until he shoved the frames onto his face, rolling his eyes once they were on.

No one paid attention to them when they walked into the gym because it was already buzzing with students and spectators walking around.

“Smell that, Hap?” Tony asked, taking a deep breath.

“Teenage stench?”

“Innovation,” Tony corrected. “Young minds at work.”

“Why’d they choose the gym?” Happy ignored Tony, his nose scrunching up. Tony smiled and started walking around to find Peter’s booth. There were some impressive inventions going around, some clearly a show of the students’ parents’ money. Tony found himself glad that Peter decided to go a little more creative in his approach. His booth ended up being at the end of a row, where he was standing alone with his friend.

“Now, what do we have here?” Tony said, pretending to be another parent eager to check out a project. Peter’s friend stared at Tony for a few second before his jaw dropped to the floor, his eyes unblinking. Peter immediately groaned, burying his face in both hands. Tony looked at their poster board, going speechless when he saw the title “Potato Arc Reactor.” Tony’s eyes dropped down to find exactly what the title explained it would be, a potato arc reactor.

“Holy shit,” Tony said.

“Language,” Happy said. Tony turned to see he had put on his security guard shades and was looking around at the students like they might pounce at any moment. Tony turned to Peter.

“This is amazing!” Tony said. “How could you hide this from me!” Peter blushed, stammering as he tried to think of what to say.

“You’re Tony Stark,” his friend finally said.

“In a flesh,” Tony said. “You’re Ed?”

“Ned,” Ned stuttered.

“Right. Good job, this is cool,” Tony complimented, still in awe.

“Your disguise is terrible,” Peter muttered.

“Really, Pete? Because it looks like no one has thrown a second glance my way,” Tony said smugly.

“I made him put on the hat,” Happy added.

“Thanks,” Peter breathed. “Why are you here? I thought you weren’t supposed to be out of bed.”

“Yeah, well, I’m Tony Stark, so,” Tony trailed off, looking around at some of the other inventions. “Yeah, this is going to win.”

“You’re biased,” Peter snorted.

“Extremely. One, I know you’re smart. Two, this is just about the smartest thing a smart kid can do.”

“It sounds a lot like you’re giving yourself a pat on the back,” Peter said, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m proud of you, kid. Can you just accept a compliment? Hap, get a picture of us,” Tony said, tossing his phone at him. Tony nodded at Ned, who was still standing there with round eyes. “You can get in the picture, kid.”

“No way…” Ned whispered to himself, moving to the other side of Tony. Tony threw some signature peace signs up as Happy struggled to take the photo.

“Just push the button.”

“I am pushing the button! It’s not taking the picture,” Happy complained.

“Not the actual button, the one on the screen—Happy…” Tony sighed. He showed Happy what to do before resuming his pose. Happy was taking quite a few photos when a couple of kids walked up to Peter’s booth.

“Oh, my god, Peter, this is great,” one of the girls complimented. From the blush of Peter’s face, Tony was able to deduce that this as the Liz girl he liked. Another boy snorted.

“It’s fake. There’s no way that Parker could make this from scraps.”

“Tony Stark did,” Ned said, narrowing his eyes.

“He’s not Tony Stark,” the boy laughed. Another girl narrowed her eyes at him before rolling them. Then her eyes landed on Tony, and they scrutinized him.

“Who’s the hobo at your booth, Parker?” The girl asked, pointing at Tony. Peter’s eyes went wide, and he stood discreetly in front of him.

“No one.”

“Hobo?” Tony scoffed. “Just because I go a couple of days without shaving? I’m allowed to wear sweatpants instead of Armani!” The girl just continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes, ignoring the nervous chuckle coming from Peter.

“Michelle is kidding, she actually volunteers at homeless shelters, Mr.—I mean, uh…” Peter started making excuses, almost slipping with Tony’s name.

“How long until you find out?” Tony asked.

“A couple of hours,” Ned answered. Tony threw his head back and groaned, flinching at the pain it caused. Peter and Happy both gave him disapproving looks.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. I’m going. If I don’t get a picture with a blue ribbon in it, I’m kicking ass!” Tony said, letting Happy lead him out of the gym. The kids at the booth continued to stare at him with confused looks, ready to interrogate Peter as to who he was.

“I can’t believe you made me drive you to a science fair,” Happy muttered bitterly.

“I needed to do something domestic after everything that just happened and before everything I’m about to go through,” Tony explained with a sigh. “Speaking of domestic, can you stop through a drive through on the way home? I’m famished.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is late and I have no excuse :)  
> Really, it's just some more fun adventures with Peter and Bucky along with some more civil war drama.

Tony stood with a shit-eating grin when Ross personally escorted Barnes into the Avengers compound. The only ones really around to greet him were Tony, Wanda, and Vision, since everyone else was arriving behind Barnes. Ross’ lipped curled at Tony’s smug grin, so Tony put walked closer just to shake Barnes’ hand.

“Sergeant Barnes, great to see you,” Tony said extra formally, smiling at Ross as he did so.

“Ditto,” Barnes muttered, clearly tired after everything that went on the past few days and the plane ride home.

“Thanks, Ross, but we can take it from here,” Tony said, patting Barnes on the back.

“He’s not cleared to go on any missions, Stark. Don’t try to pull anything,” Ross warned, giving Tony a dirty look as he turned to walk out of the compound. Tony stared at him until he was out of view, turning towards everyone else when he was out of sight.

“How was D.C.?” Tony asked.

“Much better than last time I was there,” Sam answered with a shrug, taking his bag to go back to his room.

“Why are you out of bed?” Pepper scolded, giving Tony a gentle hug despite her angry expression.

“It’s been days. I’m fine. Neither of my legs are broken,” Tony reasoned, giving Rhodey a hug as well.

“Do I have to stay here now?” Barnes asked, looking around the compound.

“Yes,” Pepper said.

“No,” Tony said at the same time. Tony pointedly ignored the glare she sent his way.

“Tony, no. They’re not going to allow that—”

“It’ll be fine if he’s living with me,” Tony explained. “Plus, we still have to get rid of his triggers.”

“You can do that here!”

“Yeah, but the trip back and forth would be so much on my weakened state,” Tony said dramatically, cradling the arm in a sling. Pepper pursed her lips and sighed. “His stuff is already there!”

“Stuff?” Pepper repeated. “Tony, I don’t feel like talking about this right now.”

“Same here,” Tony said cheerfully. “Besides, we have stuff on the agenda for today.”

“We?” Barnes questioned.

“The people who had nothing better to do the last few days,” Tony said, nodding to Wanda and Vision. Those who were returning just shrugged and walked off to get some rest. “You guys are so dramatic. D.C. is in the same time zone,” Tony called out before turning to Vision and Wanda. “You ready to go?”

Tony definitely felt nerves when he walked up to the familiar building, but he felt even more nervous at the thought at letting the two of them come by themselves. Vision was powerful, and Tony was constantly afraid others would try and take advantage of that.

Much to his surprise, they were greeted properly this time and led in by someone that was not Strange. Tony walked around to look at the various artefacts while waiting for the man to show up. Wanda and Vision waited stiffly and patiently near the door. Tony wasn’t a history buff, but some of the items looked like they had serious stories behind them. He figured they were the type of things money couldn’t buy. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

Tony turned to see Strange but found his cape instead. Tony blinked as it floated like it was still on the man’s shoulders. Tony, for a second, thought that the man may be invisible without knowing it. Then the thing started to move around him, looking him up and down like it had eyes.

“Hi,” Tony muttered, narrowing his eyes at the piece of clothing. The cloak looked like it was tilting its head, as if it had one.

“I’ve seen your face here more times than I’d care to,” Strange’s voice rang out. Tony turned to see Strange walking down the stairs.

“Oh, so you do walk places,” Tony said. “That’s nice to know. Did you see my sling? I’m guessing that’s why you avoided the whole portaling me places.” Strange rolled his eyes and held out his hand, Tony didn’t know what he was doing until he felt the weight of the cloak on his shoulders. Strange looked annoyed, making Tony smirk. “This is cozy. What is this, cashmere?” Strange walked over to grab the cloak from his shoulders, throwing it over his own before looking back at Vision and Wanda.

“That’s an interesting stone in your head,” Strange said, walking closer to Vision. Stark pointedly positioned himself closer to Vision, giving Strange a toothy smile.

“Nice observation. We’re actually here about the other one,” Tony said, nodding towards Wanda. Strange raised an eyebrow at Tony.

“Oh,” he hummed. “The witch. I did say I’d look into her myself.”

“And then you never did,” Tony deadpanned. “So here I am.”

“Why now?”

“Well, she signed the Accords. She’s an official Avenger.”

“I thought she was one before?” Strange teased, recalling Tony’s evident displeasure from their previous conversation.

“By Rogers standards, not by mine,” Tony admitted. “Now, he’s a fugitive, and she’s an Avenger. Things change.”

“And you want me to…”

“Work with her. Isn’t that what you do here? What do you do here?”

“We actually do that at Kamar-Taj,” Stephen informed him with a forced smile. They blinked at him. “In Nepal.”

“You’re just trying to get rid of us,” Tony groaned. “Have some pity.”

“I have better things to do than to babysit some kid,” Strange retorted.

“She’s a grown woman,” Tony scoffed.

“Then why don’t you let her defend her case?” Strange it back, looking at Wanda, who was shrinking in on herself.

“Because, if you’re going to be deprecating, I’d rather you do it to me,” Tony replied. “I don’t want her to train like a sorcerer. I want her to train with a master.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Strange said with an eye roll.

“Trust me, flattery is below me,” Tony said. “This is serious, and you know it is. Don’t tell me you didn’t see Lagos.”

“Oh, we all saw Lagos,” Strange chuckled darkly. “Just another example the Avengers saving the day,” he drawled sarcastically.

“That’s what we’re trying to fix,” Tony growled back. “She was untrained. In case you haven’t notice, she hasn’t been on any missions since. That happened under the leadership of Rogers, who is no longer here.”

“So what happens when I train her?” Stephen bit back. “You approve her, and your team runs off to shove your heroics down the throats of some other poor city who you decide can’t defend themselves?”

“What is your vendetta against me?” Tony all but yelled. “It’s not a secret that I’m an advocate for the Sokovia Accords, something meant to keep things like what happened in Lagos from happening. Everything you’re criticizing was a result of Rogers, yet you’re so keen on making it all out to be my fault!” Tony’s laughed humorlessly before his voice got even louder. “You’re not doing anyone any good by denying her training. I have enough people in my life reminding that everything is always my fault! I don’t fucking need you added onto the list!”

Vision put a gentle hand on his shoulder as Tony frustratedly ran a hand through his hair. Wanda was giving him a concerned glance. Tony shared a look with Vision before marching out of the building.

Tony sat on the steps, resting his face in his hands. He probably fucking blew it, which didn’t really surprise him. Being around Strange brought out a feeling in his that he was constantly working to suppress. The realization that he had so much to be held accountable for, that he had fucked up so much of his life so far. It was absolutely infuriating and depressing at the same time. Tony is sitting there for a while before Wanda and Vision come back out.

“Did I fuck it up?” Tony asked.

“Dr. Strange has agreed to train Wanda in the New York Sanctum,” Vision informed him. Tony frowned.

“That’s it? No ulterior motive?”

“He was rather docile after you left,” Vision admitted reluctantly. Tony sighed and closed his eyes.

“Of course he was,” Tony mumbled to himself. “Whatever, it’s over. I’m guessing you’ll be accompanying her here?” Vision shared a look with Wanda before nodding. “Cool, I’m heading off.”

* * *

Tony received a package when he returned to the compound to visit. It was pretty anonymous, giving Tony a bad feeling. He took it to his office before seeing the other Avengers. He opened it to find a phone and a letter. Steve was still delusional. His letter apologized for not coming to an agreement, sorry Tony got hurt in the process. He was glad to see that Tony did the right thing by not punishing Barnes, begging him to leave Barnes out of their feud. He admitted to being wrong about hiding the secret, but he showed no remorse to having dropped everything to make sure his friend was safe. Tony ripped up the letter before anyone else could find it, throwing the phone in one of the desk drawers.

“Knock knock.” Tony looked up to see Sam and Barnes standing in the doorway.

“Oh, boy, you guys are going to make a troublesome duo, aren’t you,” Tony muttered, pretending he wasn’t hiding anything.

“You did this,” Sam bantered, taking a seat. “What’s new?”

“Nothing. Wanda’s going to start training soon. For the first time in months, I’m not really sure what needs done,” Tony sighed.

“Besides Rogers and crew being on the run?” Sam reminded him. Tony scrunched up his nose and shrugged.

“That’ll come around. I’m sure something will pop up. I can never sit around for too long.”

“You staying?” Sam asked.

“Actually here to see if Barnes wanted a ride,” Tony said, looking at the man in question. “I gotta meet my intern today.” Barnes shrugged and nodded.

Barnes ended up hanging around the lab with Tony when he got back, claiming he had nothing better to do. Tony let him entertain the bots, ignoring them when Peter came in flashing a blue ribbon with a glare on his face.

“Woo!” Tony cheered, not getting up from his seat. “Congrats kid.”

“Thanks,” Peter muttered.

“Why are you glaring at me if you won?”

“Because I’m still salty at you.”

“Salty?” Tony repeated, furrowing his brows. “Is that another slang term?”

“May wants to have a celebratory dinner.”

“Great, you deserve it,” Tony said, reaching out to lightly punch Peter’s shoulder when he was close enough.

“She wants me to invite you.”

“Why? I didn’t do anything.”

“That’s what I told her,” Peter said, dropping his backpack the floor.

“Just for your bitterness, I’m coming,” Tony said. He realized Peter wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying because he caught sight of Barnes in the corner. “Oh, yeah. That’s James.”

“He’s the Winter Soldier,” Peter whispered.

“And I’m Iron Man,” Tony scoffed. “Your hero worship is hurtful. You’ve met him before.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know he was the Winter Soldier last time,” Peter whispered harshly.

“Hey, Barnes!” Tony called out, earning the panicked look of Peter. Barnes looked up from the tablet he found. “Remember my intern?” Barnes threw a hand up in a wave. Peter waved back meekly. “Want to help me embarrass him?”

“What? No!” Peter protested, gaping back and forth between the two men. Barnes shrugged and nodded.

“What are we doing?” Barnes called out, standing up to go.

“I was thinking clothes shopping so your entire wardrobe doesn’t consist of black leather, not that it doesn’t suit you.”

“Why am I here?” Peter complained.

“Because I’m a nice mentor and thought you might want to hang out with the Winter Soldier.”

“James,” Barnes corrected him.

“Yeah, him. You could always stay and work on your other job,” Tony offered with a smirk. Peter narrowed his eyes at his mentor.

“No, I’ll go,” Peter grumbled, picking his backpack back up.

“Where’s your coat? It’s getting cold out,” Tony scolded.

“It’s forty degrees. I don’t need a coat.” Tony continued to stare at him. “Someone stole it out of my locker,” Peter admitted pitifully.

“You walked here with no coat?”

“Well, I took the subway first…”

“You don’t have anything else to wear?” Tony asked. Peter pouted at him. “What?” Peter sighed and unzipped his backpack to pull out the Stark Industries hoodie. “Okay, high fashion!”

“This internship was the worst thing I’ve ever done,” Peter grumbled dramatically, pulling the hoodie over his head.

“If you behave, I’ll buy you a Lego set.”

“That’s not funny. I indulged that in you, Mr. Stark,” Peter whined. Barnes looked between the two of them.

“Is this just a cover for him being your son?” Barnes asked.

“You tell me. You’re the master spy,” Tony snorted, opening the driver’s car door. “He calls me Mr. Stark.”

“A cover,” Barnes suggested, climbing into the passenger seat. Peter climbed in the back, purposefully sitting in the middle.

“Seatbelt,” Tony said, smiling cheekily at him in the rearview mirror. Peter narrowed his eyes and moved over to strap in.

“I don’t actually want any clothes,” Barnes said. “I just figured you needed a distraction.”

“Right you were, and you’re still getting clothes out of it. Win, win!” Tony looked over his shoulder when he heard the familiar sound of a phone camera. Peter was already typing away on it. “What’s that?”

“For the account, Mr. Stark.”

“Oh, yeah,” Tony muttered to himself. “How many followers do you have?”

“I’m almost at one million!” Peter said excitedly. Tony looked over at Barnes.

“You want a Twitter—” Barnes was already shaking his head. “Peter could show you the ropes.”

“You don’t even use your own Twitter,” Peter pointed out.

“I use it!” Tony realized he was referring to his secret one. He could admit that he never really used his official account. “Sometimes. That’s what you’re for.”

“I came for a robotics internship,” Peter muttered. Tony scoffed.

“You build a robot a week. I’m running out of room!”

Everyone wandered off when they reached the department store, the only store Barnes would agree to go to. Tony immediately started sorting through clothes, eager to get distracted from everything that was going on. His mind kept flickering back to Strange, and he would get stressed out all over again. He wanted to know what the man had against him.

“Don’t you have a million pairs of sweatpants by this point?” Peter pointed out when he popped out of nowhere, effectively making Tony jump. Tony looked down at the multiple pairs in his arms.

“They’re for Bucky,” Tony lied.

“No they’re not,” Peter laughed. Tony flinched back when Peter got closer.

“Jesus, why do you smell like you took a bath in cologne?” Tony asked, scrunching up his nose. Peter’s face went red.

“Oh, I got sprayed a bunch of times when walking through that section,” Peter admitted, pulling his shirt up to sniff it before flinching away, coughing. “Sometimes by the same person.”

“And yet, you came up empty handed,” Tony said, motioning to Peter’s empty hands. “You’re fired.”

“You don’t even know that he likes cologne,” Peter scoffed. “He could have a sensitive smell.”

“Well then god forbid he gets a whiff of you,” Tony said, pulling his shirt over his nose dramatically. “I feel like I should shop for you too. I don’t know if you heard, but the Big Bang Theory wants their nerdy puns back,” Tony said, gesturing to Peters t-shirt. Peter put on an offended look.

“The girls at my school like—” Tony was already shaking his head.

“No.” Peter glared at him. “I can assure you that they like you, not the shirt.” Peter blushed. “Come on.”

“No!” Peter groaned. “You’re even worse than May.”

“You compare me to her a lot. I think I’m becoming your honorary guardian,” Tony said, filtering through what he thought to be Peter’s sizes.

“What do I need a suit for?”

“Well, you are Tony Stark’s intern. Who knows what will come up?” Tony answered. “Nothing from here though. I’ve got a reputation to keep.”

“I don’t,” Peter muttered, looking at the price tag. Tony smacked his hands away.

“Stop looking at the tags. This is me buying clothing that is much too small for me that a certain person I know will be forced to wear eventually,” Tony said casually, moving over to some button downs.

“I’ll look like a douche wearing these to school,” Peter said.

“Not if you style it correctly,” Tony responded cheerfully. “Do your punk look or whatever you like with the beanie.”

“Beanies aren’t punk! You’ve worn them!”

“For my punk incognito,” Tony responded with a chuckle.

“It’s not incognito!” Peter groaned. Tony held up two jackets until Peter reluctantly pointed at one.

“Really? I think one goes with my eyes,” Tony teased, holding up one to his face.

“Why did you bother to ask?”

“Because I love messing with you,” Tony admitted. “Let’s find Buck.” Barnes was searching through a rack of basic shirts when they walked up to him. He turned to see what Tony was holding.

“Don’t you have enough sweatpants?” Barnes asked. Peter laughed.

“They’re for you,” Tony lied. Barnes rolled his eyes and turned back to the shirts. “Those are boring.”

“Yeah, well, I like boring,” Barnes mumbled.

“To each his own, I guess,” Tony responded, ignoring the way Peter’s jaw dropped.

They visited a few more stores to satisfy Tony’s pleads, finishing their trip with ice cream since Tony needed to bribe them. Peter took the bribery seriously, getting the most sugary ice cream sundae he could describe. Tony wasn’t exactly sure how sugar affected him with his spidey powers, but he wasn’t too eager to find out. Barnes kept it simple with a hand-dipped vanilla.

“How did it go with Strange?” Barnes asked casually. Tony glared at him, still sipping on his milkshake.

“Why are you asking now?”

“Because you’ve clearly been agitated by it, making us suffer with your need for a distraction,” Barnes explained.

“Who’s Strange?” Peter perked up.

“This wizard guy,” Tony said, ignoring the excited look that grew on Peter’s face. “He’s an asshole. I didn’t even do anything. He just went out of his way to agitate me!”

“How so?”

“One, he kept refusing to train Wanda like he had anything better to do.”

“He might have,” Barnes said. Tony ignored that.

“And then he kept bringing up everything that went wrong with the Avengers, like everything wrong with the world is a direct result of my existence,” Tony said, his voice getting quieter as he reflected on that. Barnes sat quietly for a moment. Peter suddenly became very awkward, pretending he didn’t exist while eating his ice cream and checking his phone.

“It should go without saying that that’s obviously not true,” Barnes responded. When Tony didn’t respond, he kept going. “Though, to be honest, I don’t know what he has against you.”

“Thanks,” Tony mumbled.

“He helped me and Wanda with some coercion…” Barnes thought aloud. “Maybe he just ties you to Steve.”

“What do you mean?”

“Steve is currently a fugitive and partially responsible for Lagos,” Barnes said with a shrug. “He’s not the only one. Before this ‘Civil War,’ people linked the two of you together.”

“How do you know that Mr. I don’t want a Twitter?”

“I’m observant,” Barnes responded, taking another bite of his cone.

“Speaking of which…” Peter interrupted, his eyebrows furrowed while he stared at his screen.

“Of what? Twitter or the Civil War?” Tony joked.

“Both,” Peter said. “It’s uh…I don’t know how to…” Tony held his hand out, so Peter reluctantly slid the device over. Tony tapped the video Peter was clearly referring to, speechless when he recognized Steve, Barnes, and himself in a familiar bunker.

“Shit,” Tony whispered. Barnes frowned, moving over to see what he was watching. They both watched the infamous of the Winter Soldier killing Tony’s parents. It didn’t stop there, much to Tony’s dismay. Zemo prepared for this, as he had the bunker footage leaked. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t get the Iron Man vs. Captain America fight he was looking for. He did, however, get Steve admitting to knowing about the video.

The video clearly showed Tony being hit by the shield and Barnes running after Steve. The footage switched, allowing the viewers to see the way Barnes and Tony tried and failed to apprehend Steve. Tony flinched when he saw the way he fell to the ground at Steve rammed the shield into his chest. In the corner, Steve and Clint clearly managed to make it to the quinjet before taking off. The video ended with Barnes and T’Challa hunched over Tony.

“I guess it’s time for these,” Barnes said, popping on his sunglasses and looking around to see if anybody had noticed their presence. Tony handed the phone back to Peter, letting his head fall into his hands.

“So everyone definitely knows about Barnes involvement with my parents’ deaths now, huh?” Tony clarified.

“Uh, yeah,” Peter answered.

“What’s the talk?”

“Well, the Winter Soldier is trending again, most in relevance with the video. Some are calling for justice. It seems a lot are wondering how you two are friends,” Peter said, his fingers working fast to scroll.

“Justice,” Tony repeated under his breath.

“Still some backlash from making him an Avenger,” Peter clarified.

“Oh, makes sense.”

“Team Iron Man is trending,” Peter said.

“What about Team Captain America?” Barnes asked, exchanging a surprised look with Tony when Peter shook his head.

“Nope. This video made created a lot of change of hearts. Either that or Team Cap fans are too afraid to speak up. He’s very unpopular right now after trying to run. Many people are also very concerned about your health since this video is the last people have heard from you. You weren’t present at Barnes’ trial, so people are starting to think you’re seriously injured.”

“That’s probably not good,” Tony sighed. Peter put his phone down. “What? Is that it?”

“No, I’m just wondering,” Peter mumbled, looking back and forth between the two of them. “Why exactly are you two friends?” Barnes and Tony looked at each other again.

“Well, I helped him. In turn, he didn’t kill me,” Tony explained. From the looks that Barnes and Peter gave him, Tony deduced that they didn’t appreciate his blunt explanation. “When I found out the truth, I also found out that Rogers had lied to me. I was more upset at him, especially since I couldn’t do anything to change what the soldier did. I looked into it more and figured out that they brainwashed him, meaning he was still vulnerable to manipulation.”

“You could’ve just killed him. No offense, Mr. Soldier, sir,” Peter stuttered. Tony just shrugged.

“Maybe, but then no one would know the truth,” Tony explained. Peter stared at him for a while, probably thinking about what he said.

“I’m sorry about your parents, Mr. Stark,” Peter whispered, his voice cracking a bit. Tony reached out to nudge his shoulders.

“Don’t waste tears on me, kid.”

“Uh, people are wanting Captain Rogers to come forward,” Peter continued to read. “Along with Hawkeye and the Black Widow. They’re encouraging people to post if there’s any sighting of them.”

“Has there been?” Tony asked, perking up a bit.

“Nah,” Peter said. “There’s speculation as to where they could be, all the way from Alaska to Vietnam.”

“That sure narrows it down,” Barnes drawled.

“Calm down,” Tony said. “You’ve already been initiated. You’re not technically illegal anymore.”

“No, but they might reconsider now that this video has come to light,” Barnes muttered.

“They already knew you had victims under your belt,” Tony reasoned. “These are just the details.”

“I really wish you wouldn’t try to justify your own parents’ deaths,” Barnes mumbled into his hand.

“I’m not justifying it. You’re not bringing me or families justice by being dead or locked up,” Tony explained. “You can do it by making sure no one else has to die.”

“That’s poetic,” Peter added, blushing under the deadpan looks of Tony and Barnes. “You’re getting messages from Miss Potts, by the way.”

“Of course I am,” Tony sighed. “Lay ‘em on me.”

“Mostly asking if you’re okay. There’s one suggesting you set up a press conference to assure the world that you’re not dead.”

“Probably a good idea.” Tony finished off the last of his shake, slurping at the little bit left to annoy the two with the sound it made. “We should probably head back so I can deal with this mess. Come on, I’m dropping you off.”

“Bye Mr. Stark. Bye Mr. Buck,” Peter said as he got out of the car outside of his apartment building. Barnes frowned at the name.

“Text me the celebratory dinner date!” Tony reminded him with a toothy smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I find out everything on Twitter, then Tony is going to too :)

It was weeks later, and Tony was still dealing with the aftermath of the Civil War. He shifted from trying to better the image of the Avengers to trying to better the image of Barnes. He made a very brief public appearance, mostly to answer the question of whether he was alive or not. There was still no sign of Steve or the others, putting everyone on edge for what he would do next.

Wanda was getting noticeably better with her powers, showing Tony whenever she got the chance to reassure him that there was progress. He still wasn’t all the way comfortable with her magic, but that was something that they would have to work on. He was actually visiting the compound when he realized they had an unexpected visitor.

Strange was training with Wanda in their designated training area. Tony only knew that because he had glass instead of walls. Tony paused when he saw the man, automatically tensing up before he realized he was on his own turf. Tony noticed that Wanda was sweating, having exerted a lot of energy into training today. Strange, on the hand, barely looked winded. Both of them looked up to see Tony, forcing him to pretend he was still walking past.

“What’s up, Stark?” Sam greeted when he walked into the common kitchen.

“Uh, nothing,” Tony mumbled. “Why is Strange here?” Sam shrugged.

“He offered to make the trip over, and they agreed since there’s actual training rooms here,” Sam explained, slapping a piece of bread onto the counter to complete his sandwich. “Is that a problem?”

“Why would it be an issue? She needs to train,” Tony mumbled.

“I mean, it’s your compound.”

“It’s the _Avengers_ compound…that said he’s not an Avenger.”

“Why not?” Sam took a large bite of his sandwich.

“He has other responsibilities or something like that,” Tony drawled. Sam nodded understandingly.

“How’s your shoulder, by the way?”

“Clavicle,” Tony corrected. He moved his shoulder a bit to demonstrate its movement, “It’s good. I can now pilot the suit without Pepper yelling at me, if need be.”

“Expecting trouble?”

“Hopefully not,” Tony sighed. Tony sat in the kitchen chatting with Sam a bit longer, trying to ignore who was just a few rooms over. That didn’t work out too well since they came in here when their session was over.

“Did you need something?” Wanda asked when they walked in, making Tony jump unexpectedly. “You don’t usually hang around anymore.” Wanda offered Strange something to drink, which he accepted graciously.

“I just wanted to get away from Barnes. He’s driving me crazy,” Tony muttered sarcastically.

“Did he kick you out?” Sam teased.

“It’s my house. He can’t kick me out,” Tony scoffed. He folded under Sam’s teasing smile. “I may have gotten on his nerves from being around all the time. Though, to be fair, I’m sure he’s just upset about still not being to do his own grocery shopping.”

“You do grocery runs now?” Sam asked. “You wanna fill us up? Vision keeps breaking all off the eggs.” Wanda smiled fondly like she was recalling a memory. “And Wanda keeps using up all the greens for her disgustingly thick green smoothies.”

“They’re good for you,” Wanda insisted, taking a drink from one as if to make a point.

“Can I room with Barnes?” Sam asked sarcastically. Wanda and Sam got into some meaningless banter when Wanda pointed out how Sam kept taking up space in the fridge with leftovers he never ate. Strange was still around, so Tony, unfortunately, felt himself obligated to make conversation.

“Are you two still training today?” Tony asked, the first words he exchanged with the man since he had exploded on his all those weeks ago.

“It’s important that she doesn’t overexert herself,” Strange explained calmly. “We’re working on control her own body instead of other objects.”

“Smart,” Tony said dumbly, tapping his fingers on the counter.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Strange said monotonously. Tony felt his stomach drop. He was going to withdrawal his aid. “I wanted to apologize.” That threw Tony in for a loop.

“For what?” Tony frowned.

“For the way I acted prior to training Wanda. I assigned you blame for many things I have problems with. I shouldn’t have acted so hostile towards you. I apologize.” Tony was stunned speechless, staring at Strange as the man awaited his response.

“Um…” Tony hummed, not sure what the proper reaction would be. “Thanks? No. You’re welcome.” Strange stared at him.

“Do you know what an apology is?” Sam asked, having tuned in on what they were saying.

“I’m just not used to…t-this, okay,” Tony stuttered.

“What, apologies?” Stephen asked, his confused expression dropping when Tony shrugged. “That’s unfortunate.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of sad, man,” Sam said, smiling sheepishly at the unamused expression Wanda threw him.

“I actually wanted address something else,” Strange said. “Your fear of magic.” Tony blinked at him. Sam had baffled expression as he tried to grasp what they were talking about. Wanda looked apologetic, making Tony believe that she and Strange had already talked about this.

“Fear of magic?” Sam repeated dumbly.

“You had a bad reaction every time I’ve used mine, though I acknowledge that I didn’t have the best intentions each time I was using them,” Strange explained. “Wanda indulged in me her malevolent uses in the past.”

“Sounds like the fear part is explained,” Sam said.

“Regardless, it seems necessary to address, seeing as you two are supposed to work well in the field together. I don’t see that happening if you fear her.” They all watched Tony, who sat quietly.

“What does that mean, exactly? What do I do about it?” Tony asked quietly. They all seemed surprised by his willingness to address the problem.

“We’d expose you to what we can both do, Wanda much later, of course. She still has training to fulfill.”

“Wow, I really don’t want to do that,” Tony said in a sarcastic tone though he really meant it. He was gnawing at his lip with nerves. “What, is this just an invitation for me to hang out with you all day?”

“Yes,” Sam confirmed, a smile creeping up on his face. “Strange doesn’t want to be an Avenger, so this is your chance for a long conversation as to why he should be one. Two birds with one stone. I’m better at this leader thing than you are,” Sam joked.

“I’m not the leader,” Tony muttered. “And I can’t just hang around his magic school all day. I still have to help Barnes. And other things…” Tony said, thinking of Peter’s internship.

“Sounds like a lot of excuses to me,” Sam said. “Why don’t you just hang out here? Dr. Strange is still training Wanda, and you can work from home.” Tony continued to stare at Sam, who smirked back at him. He knew the stress he was causing Tony. “I invited Barnes over anyway.”

“When did you do that?” Tony exclaimed. Sam showed his text messages as proof. “You two should not be allowed to communicate.” Sam shrugged with a smirk.

Tony found himself texting Happy to give Peter a ride to the compound when it got to the point where it would be too awkward if Tony forcefully left. Not only would it not look good for Strange, but it probably wouldn’t look too good for Wanda either. Sam declared that he was going to make lunch for everyone, despite having just eaten a sandwich.

“There was a sighting of Rogers in Germany, apparently,” Sam brought up casually.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” Tony responded dully.

“He hasn’t tried to contact you?” Sam asked, a funny tone in his voice. Tony’s mind flickered to the letter and phone that he had already forgotten about.

“Nope,” Tony said smoothly, causing everyone to look at him. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re the one he’d contact if he were going to reach out to anybody,” Vision speculated.

“Really? Because Sam is also here,” Tony pointed out.

“But I have no power to bring them back to the States,” Sam said.

“Uh, neither do I,” Tony snorted. “I am but one man.”

“One powerful man,” Sam corrected. “He’s going to be looking to you to bring them back.”

“So is that why I’m getting all the accusing looks, thinking I’m going to bring him back?” Tony scoffed. “He lied to me!”

“Technically, so did you,” Sam said with no heat.

“Yeah, but it didn’t involve anyone’s parents or their deaths,” Tony bantered, making everyone at the table, including Strange, flinch. “You can calm down. The point is, I’m done being run over by Rogers.”

“The scenario is a bit confusing,” Strange said. “You’re inviting the man here who did, in fact, kill your parents. That wasn’t a lie?”

“No, but you know about the whole brainwashing thing anyway. You helped figure it all out,” Tony said casually. “Hence why I’m trying to better his image to the public.”

“I’m afraid there is already heavy consideration for Rogers and his team being pardoned and brought back to the United States,” Vision informed him.

“What?” Tony and Wanda exclaimed.

“You’re going to have to let your voice be heard if you want to maybe help prevent it,” Sam pointed out.

“Is that why you were asking me if he had contacted me. Goddammit, of course I don’t want him back here. Jesus, if they come back, I’ll never hear the end of it,” Tony stressed.

“I think there are bigger concerns than them rubbing it in your face if that happens,” Sam muttered. “If they don’t sign the accords, the entire process starts over again. Barton and Lang might be okay, but can you really imagine Steve and Natasha caving in?”

“Natasha did sign it. She just has her priorities askew,” Tony grumbled.

“This kid followed me in here.” Everyone turned to see Barnes sauntering into the dining room with Peter smiling nervously beside him.

“You know his name,” Tony scoffed.

“Oh, so you know him,” Barnes drawled, taking a seat at the table and taking a sandwich for his own.

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter greeted, clearly in awe at being at the Avengers compound. “This place is so cool.”

“Why aren’t you wearing the shirt I bought you?” Tony asked, making the kid blush and tug at his t-shirt.

“Who is this?” Strange asked, scrutinizing the kid. “Another team member?”

“Ha,” Tony barked out a laugh. “No, he’s my intern. Want a sandwich, Pete?” Tony called out. Peter dropped his bag, nodding eagerly.

“Oh, yeah. I’m starving,” Peter said, taking the sandwich Tony offered him.

“What do you have an intern for?” Strange asked. Tony squinted at Peter.

“I don’t know. He’s kind of useless, really,” Tony said with a straight face, ignoring the affronted look Peter gave him with his mouth full of sandwich. “I kind of just pay for everything he does and give him credits for it.”

“Everything like what?” Sam asked.

“He likes to build robots, which is fine except for the fact that I’m running out of places to put them. He also likes chemistry, so I let him dabble in that from time to time,” Tony explained. “Technically he follows me places sometimes and tells me what’s what, so I give him a communications credit for that.”

“I do stuff all the time!” Peter said once he finally swallowed the food that was stuffed in his mouth. “Exhibit A: I go grocery shopping for him.” Peter pointed at Barnes.

“You go with me,” Tony retorted.

“Exhibit B: I run errands in the tower. The other day, I took paperwork to Miss Potts.”

“The wrong file, but alright,” Tony digressed.

“Exhibit C,” Peter exclaimed, pulling out his phone. “I run a very popular Twitter, with now over one million followers.” Peter snapped a picture of everyone at the table while he was at it. “I am the sole provider for all the good publicity you’re getting.”

“Well, that’s just wrong,” Sam snorted. Peter ignored him, opting to eat his sandwich and scroll through Twitter while he had the app open.

“I accidentally created an addiction for him, but I think I’ve done my job as a mentor,” Tony said, giving himself a pat on the back.

“Yes, he’s becoming just as annoying as you,” Barnes added. “Why is he here?”

“Today was one of his scheduled internship days, but everyone demanded I stay here. If you have complaints, take them to Sam,” Tony explained.

“Speaking of Twitter…” Peter said, not taking his eyes off his phone.

“Kid, we’ve moved off that topic.”

“Steve Rogers is trending,” Peter said.

“Goddammit, why do I always get bad news when you’re around?” Tony exclaimed, pulling out his own phone.

“Rogers released a statement via a video. Should we watch it?” Peter said. Tony was already up, walking to the living room to pull the video up on the TV. Everyone followed naturally settling into their places while Tony continued to stand. The video has already accumulated 800,000 views, and it started off with Steve and Clint sitting in front of a dark wall.

“Hello, my name is Steve Rogers.” Tony was already groaning internally.

“And I’m Clint Barton.”

“We just want to clear up a few things regarding a series of events that occurred between us and our colleagues a few weeks ago, starting with a certain video that was leaked. I will start off by saying that the man in the video in a good friend of mine. I know him not at the Winter Soldier but as Bucky.”

“Christ,” Barnes muttered.

“That being said, the Winter Soldier is someone who took him from me, who took Bucky’s life and free will away from him. This is due to H.Y.D.R.A., an organization I am dedicated to taking down. I have reason to believe that the man in the video wasn’t Bucky but was instead the Soldier. Though I do regret how things went down in there, it is important to me that Bucky is recovered. No one understands the danger he is in and how easily he can be manipulated, not even Tony Stark.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Tony groaned, gaining everyone’s sympathetic glances.

“I want to reiterate that it was not James Barnes that killed Howard and Maria Stark,” Steve said, staring soullessly into the camera. “It was H.Y.D.R.A.”

“I would like to address the Accords,” Clint finally spoke. “It was because of them that I was kicked out of my own home.”

“Oh no…” Wanda muttered, catching a feeling of where this was going.

“What is he talking about?” Strange asked, frowning at the television. “I thought he helped Rogers escaped.”

“He did,” Barnes confirmed.

“Why is he upset when he chose to leave?” Strange asked.

“Join the clueless club,” Tony muttered.

“This document is an infringement upon our rights. Those supporting it are ignorant to the choices we have to make whenever we save lives, possibly sacrificing our own,” Clint explained, his tone as serious as his face. “We were betrayed by those we’ve rescued over the years along with our own team. By supporting them, you are supporting their betrayal.”

“Christ, does he hear himself?” Sam muttered, resting his head in a hand.

“Support our return to the States,” Steve spoke again. “Fight the unconstitutional Accords. We can only make things right with your help.” The video ended.

“Unconstitutional,” Tony spat. “What the hell. Who is listening to this bullshit?”

“A lot of politicians,” Peter answered, clearly getting his information from Twitter. “There’s a lot of support for the unconstitutional comment. People are starting to change their views on Barnes, but not very many. Most are still calling for justice.”

“I don’t know whether to be happy or upset at that,” Tony muttered. “This is a nightmare.”

“He just stirred the pot a little,” Sam tried reassuring him. “They aren’t going to drop everything and let him come back because of a video that’s not even an apology, especially not other countries.”

“Maybe not, but I really don’t need a bunch of angry citizens who haven’t even read the document kissing his ass and kicking mine,” Tony said. “Also, how are we going to convince everyone that I’m not mind controlling you?”

“Maybe the best course of actions is to lay low,” Vision suggested. “Acting rashly could send the wrong message to the public.”

“But what will people think if we don’t respond to Steve’s little YouTube channel,” Barnes asked.

“That it’s irrelevant,” Strange suggested. “Anybody can post anything on YouTube these days. You’re a group that’s above that. Continue to improve how the public views the Avengers and Barnes, and people will start to disregard Rogers like you do.”

“Look, he’s already ready to be an Avenger,” Sam pointed out with a smirk.

* * *

“What exactly are you showing me?” Tony asked, already feeling uneasy. This was the first time in a while Tony was seeing Strange without Wanda around having finished training. Strange’s face and posture gave nothing away as he stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

“I’m going to scare you into appreciating my art,” Strange said.

“Wow, that sounds like a bad idea,” Tony responded bluntly. “I’m good.”

“I can’t force you to do anything,” Strange called out, “but if you don’t comply, you’re going to be afraid forever.”

“I can’t control my fear…” Tony stuttered out, his mind automatically recalling the visions Wanda made him see all those months ago. “I know it’s not real, the bad stuff, but I can’t help it. I feel sick just thinking about it.”

“Let me try one thing. If it hurts you in any way, we stop,” Strange offered calmly. Tony looked him in the eyes. It was weird to not see so much malice or distrust in the man’s eyes after so much disagreement, but now Tony was ready to put his sanity in the man’s hands.

“Jesus, fine,” Tony muttered. He walked until he was directly in front of Strange. He held his hands out dramatically. “What?” The word barely left Tony’s mouth before he felt himself laying back. He was looking at the ceiling, so he tried to feel around for the floor. But he wasn’t on the floor. He was floating. His eyes went road as he turned his head side to side until he caught sight of Strange’s smirking face. “I’m afraid to move,” Tony whispered. “What’s happening.”

“You can move,” Strange said lowly. Tony moved his arms, bringing his hands up in front of his face. He let out a gasp when he realized how transparent they were. Tony could hear Strange’s deep chuckle, but he was too busy figuring out what the hell was going on.

“Holy shit,” Tony said, looking over himself. “What is this?” He caught sight of his own body lying on the ground. “Aw, shit. Did you kill me?”

“No, you’re very much alive,” Strange said, looking down at Tony’s body. “This is your astral form.”

“Oh, shit,” Tony breathed, though he had no idea what that meant. “This is trippy. It’s reminding me of college. You know what I mean?”

“No, I wasn’t a druggie in college,” Strange jested.

“Oh, shit, Strange made a joke,” Tony breathed, letting his eyes roll to the back of his. “Yeah, this is MIT all over again. I feel bad for your pre-med college self.”

“Because I didn’t experiment?”

“Because you were pre-med,” Tony joked. He tried standing, only to flail around a bit. “Fuck, I’m stuck.”

“On what?” Strange asked, clearly amused. Tony ended up flipping himself around a few times, earning Strange’s low chuckle again. “Are you scared?”

“I guess not,” Tony admitted. “You have to do this to Rhodey. He’ll trip.” Suddenly, Tony was actually lying on the ground. He frowned, bringing his hands up in front of him. They are opaque. “Damn.”

“How do you feel?” Strange said, leaning over him.

“Heavy,” Tony mumbled, groaning dramatically as he stood up. “Okay, yeah. I’ll do this. Are all of your magic tricks going to be trippy?”

“Where’s your favorite place to vacation?” Strange asked. Tony thought about asking why, he just started considering his options instead.

“The beach.”

“Any beach?” Tony narrowed his eyes.

“I like Malibu because I used to live there, but I just like beaches in general.” Strange considered what he said for a moment before he started swirling around orange magic, opening a portal. “Yeah, I should’ve seen that one coming,” Tony said before stepping through. He was blasted in the face by a wave of heat. He squinted his eyes to get used to the blaring sun. “Is this your way of flexing?”

“This is my way of associating something you like with something you don’t like so much. So either I’ll ruin beaches for you, or you’ll appreciate magic more.” Tony snorted.

“Wow, thanks.” Tony stood silently for a few moments, letting the wind sway him. “Yeah, alright. This is pretty cool. Your magic doesn’t compare to Wanda’s though. So far, you’ve made me high and took me places. She can implant nightmares.”

“Nightmares that aren’t real,” Strange reminded him. “Are you holding a grudge against her?” Tony sighed.

“I’m trying not to,” he answered with his eyes closed. “Really hard,” he whispered.

“Maybe you should talk with Sam,” Strange suggested.

“About what?”

“Your trust issues. I only suggest Sam instead of a therapist because I know you wouldn’t go to one.”

“Don’t talk as if you know me. Take me out to dinner first,” Tony jabbed. “Trust issues?”

“Wanda, in a way, betrayed Rogers’ trust by siding with you and signing the Accords. She’s proving herself by being trained by me, something you requested, but you’re having a fairly hard time coming to terms with the way things are.”

“Fair enough,” Tony agreed with a shrug.

“You still trust Rogers.” Tony’s eyes popped open so he could glare at Strange.

“Bull. Shit.”

“You’re angry at him. You think he’s an idiot, which he is being, but you still trust him.”

“Let me tell you why that’s complete bullshit,” Tony said. “This didn’t just start with our so-called ‘Civil War.’ This started from the very first time we met, where he treated me like the dirt on the bottom of his shoe without even knowing me, kind of like how you did, actually,” Tony pointed out, making Strange blink at him. “To continue, he blames me for everything that goes wrong, like I can single-handedly take down the world. Ultron? Not my fault, no matter how long we play the blame game.”

“How did Ultron become created?” Strange phrased the question nicely enough for Tony to answer.

“The scepter. The Mind Stone. We were examining it when it took over our dormant program Ultron. A rusty mistake? Maybe, but how we were supposed to know? That’s the thing that pisses me off the most,” Tony scoffed. “He had the nerve to get mad at me—not Bruce, just me—about messing with something unknown. His entire _career_ is based off of him being injected with the unknown. Captain America was born through the unknown, and he’s criticizing me for trying to study something that could protect us.”

“I understand what you mean,” Strange said softly, like he was thinking about something else. “I’ve spent most of my life following the path of certainty, but it was only when I dived into the unknown that I was able to become…”

“To improve,” Tony breathed, looking at the ground angrily. “He needs to wake up and take off the rose-tinted glasses. Maybe then he’ll leave behind just as much destruction as he claims I create.” Strange stared at him while he cooled down from his rant. “Sorry, this was supposed to be about not being afraid.”

“It’s alright. I’m sorry I brought Rogers up,” Strange responded coolly.

“You’re probably right,” Tony whispered. “That’s what everyone’s afraid of, that I’ll let myself be run over again. They all probably saw before I did that Rogers was using me, but no one was willing to do anything about it until now.” Strange was silent for a few moments, letting Tony dwindle in his thoughts.

“I don’t think your team if going to let that happen anymore,” Strange reassured him. “Which is what I wanted to talk about.”

“What?”

“If you’ll have me, I’d like to be considered for the Avengers initiative.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soo...sorry for the wait. I meant to post this a while ago and reply to comments because I'm MORE than grateful, but I'm a busy student and shit happens.  
> I was excited for this chapter too. I was feeling some real angst when I was writing it, so hopefully y'all enjoy it :)

**Months Later: Spider-Man Homecoming**

“I don’t really want to hear your explanation,” Tony said, walking towards the lab. “What I want you to do is stay away and let me deal with this.”

“What! Mr. Stark, I can help!” Peter pleaded, following behind him eagerly. “I took care of them at the robbery!”

“False,” Tony interrupted. “You failed to take care of them at the robbery, and it blew up an entire block.”

“If you focus on the negatives, you miss out on the facts that I could totally help. I saved that one man—”

“Then you returned home to where your friend was waiting for you, causing your identity to be revealed to him as a result,” Tony pointed out, pretending to try and remember the situation.

“Yeah, but that’s just Ned,” Peter waved off.

“Peter, no,” Tony stated firmly. Peter stiffened at the serious tone. “I’m going to handle this because you’re a sophomore, barely.”

“Barely?” Peter repeated in a whisper under his breath. “When are you going to let me help with anything! You never think I’m good enough.”

“This isn’t about whether you’re good enough or not,” Tony asserted. “This is about the fact that you’re fifteen and constantly trying to single-handedly save the world. When are you going to get it in your head that you’re still a child?”

“I’m not—”

“You are,” Tony interrupted and held a finger up. “Don’t keep arguing with me, or I’m going to lose it. I swear.”

“You were doing much bigger things when you were my age!” Peter continued anyway, missing the way Tony had to breathe deeply through his nose. “Hell, you were off the MIT and doing drugs! Those can kill you! You were running a business by twenty-one! You won’t let me stop a couple of bad guys when I can stop a bus with my bare hands—”

“Do you think I’m proud of all that stuff?” Tony was nearly yelling now, shocking Peter silent. “Do you think I wanted to be in college in fifteen when my voice was still cracking or taking drugs with people whose names I didn’t even know so I could look cool? So I could wake up the next day with no memory of the night before? Running a business when I was twenty-one, that’s what you look up to Peter?” Tony was exasperated. With each passing second he could see the regret grow in Peter’s eyes as the boy slowly started tear up, but he was too emotional. “You think I wanted to run a company at twenty-one without my parents, without them to tell me what I was doing wrong or to catch what Obie was doing before I could? Huh?”

“Mr. Stark, I…” Peter’s voice croaked. He twiddled with his finger, his gaze flickering between the floor and Tony’s face.

“Go home, Peter,” Tony finally sighed, putting both hands on his face while trying to recompose himself. Peter blinked at him.

“W-what…” Peter stuttered.

“Go home. I can’t deal with this right now. Don’t let me see you in the suit for a few days. I’m sure May isn’t any happier about this.” Tony still had his eyes closed when Peter sniffed and blinked some tears away. He could only tell Peter was out of sight when the squeaking of the kid’s sneakers against the floor slowly ceased into silence. Tony immediately felt guilt overcome him, building up the lump in his throat. Sometimes the kid could be so foolhardy it drove Tony crazy thinking what could happen to him, but he could admit he handled that too harshly.

“Boss, Dr. Strange is here to see you,” FRIDAY alerted him. Tony hardly realized that him and Strange had come to have an unusual relationship. It had been pointed out by Rhodey that they hadn’t exactly started off on the right foot, only it wasn’t put that nicely. Rhodey was still pissed, to be frank. That was until Stephen started being overly considerate with Tony’s wellbeing, earning Rhodey’s good graces. He was constantly reminding Tony that he didn’t need to forget his own needs or safety just to benefit others. Tony was slowly acknowledging that, but he also realized that Strange was kind of fun to hang around, even if he did have a habit of being an asshole.

“Oh, he told you instead of portaling in?” Tony asked in a surprised tone.

“Nope.” Tony turned to see Strange standing with a cocky grin. It dropped when he saw Tony’s expression. “What happened?”

“Peter.”

“What?” Stephen almost yelled out, striding over in a panic.

“Oh, no. We just had a bad confrontation,” Tony said quietly. Stephen blinked at him.

“A fight?”

“No, no!” Tony wagged his finger. “Not a fight, a minor disagreement.”

“Did you argue?”

“Dammit, Stephen,” Tony groaned. “Fine, yes. We fought. Are you happy now?”

“Kids these days,” Stephen exasperated dramatically. Tony narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t tease me. I’m sensitive,” Tony pouted.

“That’s parenthood—”

“Don’t call it that. I told you to stop calling it that. I’m not a dad. Pepper would kill me,” Tony rambled, sitting down at a desk.

“What did you fight about?” Stephen finally asked, leaning up against another table with his arms crossed. Tony sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“There’s someone I want Peter to _specifically_ stay away from, but he acts like he can handle everything. He’s a dangerous guy, and Peter thinks that just because he’s sp—uh, my intern—that he can handle everything.”

“Reasonable,” Stephen nodded along.

“He keeps insisting that he can handle it, that he _deserves_ something bigger. It’s just—Stephen, I don’t understand. How do I explain to a child that I’m not doing just to be doing them! I’m doing them to—”

“To protect them,” Stephen finished for him. Tony scowled in his direction. “Parenthood problems.”

“You’re a terrible friend,” Tony muttered. “Shit.”

“He’ll get over it,” Stephen added unconfidently.

“I don’t want him to get over it,” Tony groaned. “I want to apologize for getting mad, and I want him to understand why I’m doing it. Is that too much to ask?”

“If it means your happiness, then I’m almost certain,” Stephen sighed.

“Does my happiness have something to do with why you’re here?” Stephen nodded solemnly. “Great. Lay it on me.”

“It’s been approved.” All sarcasm and humor dropped out of Tony’s mood, leaving his frigid form full of anxiety and dread. Stephen must have noticed the change because he flinched. “I’m sorry.”

The Rogue Avengers had been pardoned. It had been in the works for months, with dozens of debates of whether it was ethical. No other countries had even begun the process of pardoning, understanding it to be ludicrous to legally allow fugitives back into their country after ignoring the document they signed onto to.

“They have to sign the Accords for it to be granted,” Stephen explained. “So there’s still hope.”

“No there’s not,” Tony sighed. “It’s been months. They’re going to try to break the system from the inside at this point.”

“Regardless, the agreement still has to get to them. The UN is requiring probation. You’ll probably never see them when they come back, and that should be weeks from now.”

“No, we will,” Tony sighed. “They’re staying at the compound.” Stephen snorted, then he laughed.

“No, they’re not. They can’t force them to stay with you, Tony—”

“No, but I’m volunteering,” Tony said. Stephen blinked at him, then he started to slowly shake his head. “I’m not—”

“You’re not housing them. Is this a guilt thing? Tony, no—” Stephen started arguing.

“First, you can’t tell me what to do with my building, just like they can’t,” Tony said. “Second, I’m not feeling guilty. I’m keeping an eye on them.”

“Bullshit,” Stephen scoffed, standing up to a straighter posture. “You’re giving them exactly what they want. They’re coming back to their _home_ , and they’re living off your check. They’re going to fight to get rid of the Accords, and you’re going to be the scapegoat like always.”

“There are going to be very different rules this time around,” Tony assured him. “I’m doing this to keep all four of them exactly where I want them.”

“All four?” Stephen repeated. “What about Barton and Lang? Wouldn’t they complete their probation at home?” Tony shrugged.

“I don’t know if they have a choice. I also don’t think they’re very fond of Barton after that video from Sokovia. Pym also isn’t helping Lang’s case. I guess we’ll see when it comes time.” Stephen continued to stare at Tony with a disapproving look. “Damn, don’t look at me like that. I just had an argument with _another_ child.”

“Do Pepper and Rhodey know about your intentions?”

“How could they? You just came to me with the information.”

“You’ve clearly had this plan baking in your head for a while. Don’t play coy,” Stephen declared. “You don’t have to involve yourself with this stuff, and yet you—”

“Don’t have to involve myself? This is my life. How can I not be involved?” Tony said condescendingly. Stephen pursed his lips, nodding his head with a forced smile on his face. Tony felt himself get sick all of sudden.

“Right. Okay,” Stephen said to himself, starting to walk out of the lab.

“Wait, Stephen—” Tony called out, ready to take back everything he just said. Stephen shook his head.

“No. You clearly need time to consider everything that’s going on, so I’m just going to leave it.”

“I’m sorry,” Tony apologized, his eyes doing all of the begging.

“For what? For making yourself vulnerable again when the rest of us are constantly trying to convince you that you don’t owe the world anything? You’re not, so please don’t say you are.” Tony didn’t know what to say. Stephen titled his head in a knowing gesture before leaving. He felt himself choke up all over again, forcing himself not to cry because he was too old for this.

* * *

Peter’s intern Twitter had an old video of Tony hitting something with a mallet and flinching back when it sparked, followed by Peter’s enthusiastic laughter. It was very short and already accumulating a lot of likes. It was caption-less. It made Tony assume that Peter was still thinking about their conversation despite how awful he must have felt, or maybe not. Tony got an alert that Peter was falling from a very tall height, and he flew out there in record time. He dropped the dripping Peter off on a playground floating while Peter reoriented himself.

“Uh…” Peter hesitated, clearly not knowing what to say in this situation.

“Don’t,” Tony’s voice was cold, making Peter freeze up. “I honestly cannot believe what I’m seeing right now.”

“This isn’t what it looks like!” Peter cried out, shivering as he did so. Tony deployed the heater without telling him. Peter shivered before relaxing as he was warmed. “Uh, thanks.”

“It isn’t what it looks like? It looks a lot like you’re in the suit that _I_ gave you, failing at trying to apprehend a bag guy _again_.”

“No, it’s not like that—” Peter said in an annoyed tone. “I wasn’t even purposefully going after him—”

“You’re wearing the suit.”

“I-I’m wearing the suit because I was going to a party,” Peter stammered, his cheeks turning red.

“Like a kid’s birthday party?” Tony asked, looking the kid up and down to analyze his lie.

“Like a teen…house party…” Peter admitted reluctantly.

“You were going to go as Spiderman to a house party?” Tony said. “As a party trick?”

“Well, no. It’s just that Ned really wanted it, and Flash had been really—”

“So we have Ned to thank for this?” Tony said. “And you were going on and on convincing me how someone discovering your secret identity wasn’t that bad.”

“Ned isn’t like that. You’re not listening to me!” Peter exasperated, clutching his mask tightly.

“No, you’re not listening to me. I told you to stay away. Instead of doing what I ask, I get an alert from FRIDAY as a distress call. Not only that, I find out you’re using Spiderman as a party trick—”

“I’m not using him!” Peter shouted back. “Why would you care anyway! It might as well be a costume since you don’t let me do anything.”

“No suit for a week,” Tony replied, biting back the guilt when he saw Peter’s face fall. “May is already getting a message about it, and she agrees.”

“What?” Peter whispered to himself. “But I—”

“You have other responsibilities outside of Spiderman and your internship. You’re going to lose both if you don’t start realizing that,” Tony said, trying to avoid looking at Peter’s crestfallen face. “Decathlon is going to D.C. Get May to sign the form. Focus on your studies.” Tony doesn’t wait for Peter to respond before he flies off.

* * *

“I’m guessing you’ve heard the news,” Rhodey said as he walked onto the floor from the elevator, immediately catching sight of Tony in the lounge with the news on.

“Yup,” Tony muttered.

“I’m sorry, man,” Rhodey said quietly, taking a seat beside him. Tony just shrugged. “You look pretty down about it.”

“That and other stuff,” Tony indulged, knowing he was talking to his brother.

“Yeah, I kind of picked that up. What’s bringing you down now?”

“Stephen and the kid,” Tony admitted. Tony since indulged to Rhodey that Peter was Spiderman, making him the only other Avenger to know such information. Rhodey’s reaction hadn’t been very big. Instead, he had nodded like things were starting to make sense.

“Boyfriend and kid troubles?”

“Holy shit, you’re even worse than Stephen,” Tony muttered. “Stop calling him my boyfriend. This isn’t junior high.”

“So what’s going on with the kid?” Rhodey asked with a teasing smile.

“You know the guy creating weapons of _pretty_ mass destruction I was telling you about?” Rhodey nodded. “Peter’s trying to handle him, and I keep telling him to stay away. Yet, what does he do?”

“He goes after him…” Rhodey said to himself since Tony was still talking.

“He goes after him!” Tony exasperated. “Jesus, that and he’s taking advantage of his persona. He was going to go to a party dressed like him, Rhodey!”

“Sounds _a lot_ like someone I know,” Rhodey said, pretending to think. Tony narrowed his eyes at him.

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s see, May of 2010. A certain someone I know was turning forty, a big number—”

“Asshole,” Tony muttered.

“And they wore their multi- _billion_ -dollar suit to be the clown at their own party.”

“That’s hurtful,” Tony pouted.

“It’s true,” Rhodey laughed. “Jesus, you were a mess. You _are_ a mess.”

“Don’t remind me,” Tony mumbled. “He had the nerve to bring up my drug habit college.” Rhodey winced. “Yeah, imagine how I felt.”

“Maybe you should be proud of him,” Rhodey said. “You were getting up to much worse when you were his age.”

“I _am_ proud of him! He just doesn’t see it!” Tony exasperated. “I’m trying to make sure he doesn’t fuck up like I did.”

“He’s headstrong, Tones. He’s not going to want to see it your way when he’s almost certain he’s right,” Rhodey said softly.

“What am I supposed to do, let him dive in headfirst and get hurt?”

“No. All I think you can do is keeping trying to make him understand, even if it means going about it a different way.” Tony pouted. “You’re pretty attached for someone you claim to just be an intern.”

“Well, he’s also a vigilante,” Tony sighed. “I have to make sure he doesn’t die.”

“Now, what’s going on with Strange?” Tony groaned as he prepared to unpack another problem.

“It’s about the Rogues.”

“So he’s understandably upset. He’s sounding better and better. Much more agreeable than the first time I met him,” Rhodey mused. He could see Tony gnawing at his lip. “Or is it something else.”

“I may have told him about my plan to house them at the compound.”

“You’re going to what?” Rhodey asked harshly, standing up. “You’re going to let them walk—”

“I’m not letting them take advantage of me!” Tony argued. “I just want to be able to keep an eye on them.”

“And by doing that, you’re providing them the luxurious home they lived in before?” Rhodey said in a much calmer voice.

“By doing this, they’ll think that I’ve forgiven them and that they can manipulate me again,” Tony retaliated. “But we’ll really be one step ahead of them.”

“This sounds like a revenge plot.”

“It’s not. It’s a keep your enemies close plot. I need everyone to stop acting like I’m a child.”

“We’re just trying to look out for you,” Rhodey said softly. “But I understand what you’re getting at.”

“Thank you!” Tony sighed. “Stephen just doesn’t understand!”

“Did you argue with him the same way you argued with me?” Rhodey asked innocently. Tony frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“This.” Rhodey motioned to himself and Tony. “I’ve known you for almost fifty years. You can’t hurt my feelings. I would crush you—”

“You cannot crush me—”

“Like so easily—”

“You don’t have fifty pounds on me anymore—”

“You argue with me like animal, claiming you know everything and all things,” Rhodey explained with a chuckle. “Except I know you don’t. And I know that you know that you don’t. I can’t hold anything against you because I know you too damn well. You’re still barely friends with Strange.”

“What, so you’re saying I hurt his feelings?” Tony jabbed. Rhodey shrugged.

“I doubt he’d put it that way, but you do have a condescending nature to you.”

“I—” Tony paused. “Whatever.”

“No, not whatever. Don’t blow this over. You don’t have to let him change your mind about what you want to do, but you can’t let him walk away with the idea that you think of him as lesser.”

“Jesus, communicating with people is so hard,” Tony groaned, throwing his head back in frustration. Rhodey nodded with a slight smile. “Fuck it, fine. I’ll apologize next time I see him.”

“That sounds like you’re going to put it off…” Rhodey said accusingly.

“Maybe,” Tony shrugged. “He’s the one who wanted space.”

“Yeah, and you’re not dating,” Rhodey said. Tony flipped him off.

* * *

Barnes was moving into the compound. By the time the Rogues returned, Tony would be the only Avenger besides Strange not living there again. Tony didn’t feel to upset since he had partially suggested Barnes move to show everyone else that he did in fact get along with the rest of the team. It also helped because Barnes barely left the tower despite his freedom to do so. This way, he’d most likely have to interact with someone at least once a day.

He didn’t have a lot of belongings, so Tony helped pack the few boxes he did have and drove him down. He needed to make an announcement to everyone anyway. He told Barnes prior to his moving about the Rogues in case it affected his decision. He had been initially apprehensive about being that close to Rogers, but he seemed to have some ulterior motive that he wasn’t telling Tony about.

“Excuse me?” Sam said.

“Yeah, I get how it sounds.”

“That seems like a bad idea,” Wanda added.

“You guys need to understand. I need to be able to control them here,” Tony explained.

“Yeah, but we live here,” Sam whined.

“It’ll be temporary depending on how they react,” Tony added.

“I don’t understand why they’re coming back,” Wanda said.

“They got a pardon,” Tony said with a sigh. “They’ll be serving probation once they sign Accords. Rather than having them somewhere else plotting against us, I’ll have them here so it’s harder for them to pull something like going on secret missions.”

“They aren’t our enemies. They aren’t going to plot against us,” Sam said. “I doubt they’d pull something like secret missions when they’re in deep water already.”

“I’m just being precautious,” Tony said calmly. “It doesn’t have to be a permanent situation. If things go wrong, they’ll be out of here.”

“So, their spot living here is like leverage?” Barnes asked.

“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but sure. I doubt that’ll work with Barton and Lang though.”

“What does Strange think of this?”

“Why do you care what he thinks?” Tony said, trying not to show how upset he was by the subject.

“I don’t know. You two are like the brains of this operation now,” Sam said with a shrug.

“Well, he doesn’t live here.”

“Neither do you,” Barnes retaliated.

“I own the place. Let’s end this conversation,” Tony heaved out a sigh.

“So he doesn’t agree,” Sam concluded.

“He will! We only discussed it briefly, okay?” Sam held his hands up like a surrender.

“Fine, fine. I’ll play along.” Tony waited for anyone else to say anything, but they were all silent. Tony sighed, already cooking up an apology in his head. FRIDAY interrupted his thoughts before he could work up the nerve to say anything.

“Boss, I have an incident to report with Mr. Parker,” she informed him over the speakers. Everyone looked at him, concerned about what could be so important with an intern. Tony held back a curse.

“I’ll see you guys later,” Tony said before he started to walk away.

“Is everything okay with the kid?” Sam asked.

“It’s fine!”

It wasn’t fine. Tony hadn’t been expecting to use the Iron Man suit today to push an entire ferry back together. What made him even more peeved was Spiderman swinging around, asking what he could do to help. Tony couldn’t help but snap that he’d done enough, instantly regretting it. He met Peter on the rooftop afterwards.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Peter started off.

“Oh, do you?” Tony said, stepping out of the suit. “Because I was going to start off with how this is the third time I’ve had this fucking conversation. I was also going to talk about D.C., and how you took the suit even though I specifically told you to lay off! You snuck away from a school trip? Peter, you could have been expelled!”

“I couldn’t just let them get away,” Peter argued, gesturing wildly towards the aftermath of the ferry incident. “They wouldn’t have been able to get this far if you had just listened to me!”

“Listen to you?” Tony scoffed. “Who do you think sent the FBI onto the same exact ferry as Toomes, Peter?”

“You…you what?” Peter stammered.

“Yeah,” Tony laughed humorlessly. “Do you know the amount of danger you put everyone on that ferry in just because you thought you knew better than me?”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“You could’ve _died_ , Peter. Do you understand that?” Tony felt himself panic at the thought. “All because you wouldn’t listen to me. Anybody on the boat could have died.” Tony took a breather, making sure his voice wouldn’t shake. “Alright. It’s obviously not going to work, since you won’t listen to me. I’m going to need the suit.”

“What?” Peter stammered. “For how long?”

“For how long?” Tony derided. “Fuck, forever! Until I say so. Maybe once you’re an adult who can listen to what people tell you!” Peter was tearing up and sniffing, but Tony was too hot to start having compassion now.

“You can’t. I’m nothing without the suit—”

“Then that tells me you don’t need it,” Tony declared. “If you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” Tony paused for a second, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart. “Great, now I sound like my dad.”

“I don’t have any other clothes,” Peter admitted tearfully.

“We can sort that out,” Tony said sternly. He had Happy bring him the suit after dropping Peter off. Happy wouldn’t admit it, but he was feeling sympathetic for the kid.

“You didn’t go too hard on him, did you?” Happy asked casually while giving Tony a ride to the tower.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Happy,” Tony mumbled. Tony got a call from May the next day.

“Yeah, he’s really disappointed,” May said. “It’s hard because I’m so disappointed, but I want to console him.”

“I’m sorry, May,” Tony said quietly over the phone.

“You don’t have to apologize to me,” May replied. “I would have taken it myself. I only just found out that he skipped out on Decathlon, missed detention, and then the ferry incident? I thought I might go into shock.”

“Not one of his best moments.” May laughed despite the serious conversation.

“Not really.” She sighed. “He thinks you hate him.”

“Oh, god, no,” Tony groaned. “I don’t—”

“I know that, but he’s just in one of those moods where he thinks the entire world is against him.”

“I didn’t mean to get so upset,” Tony admitted, his voice getting a little watery. “I just kept thinking about how he could have…” Tony cut himself off.

“Yeah,” May whispered in a similar tone. “Me too. I’m thinking maybe we let this blow over for a little bit, he’d get the message.”

“Maybe,” Tony mumbled. “I just don’t want him to think I’m angry—well, still angry.” May chuckled a bit.

“I’ll tell him. You should probably talk to him.”

“Yeah, probably. I still have to handle the guy he was talking about before he does something drastic.”

“Do you know what he’s after?”

“Some valuables that I may or may not have,” Tony admitted. “I don’t want Peter back at the tower or the compound until I can make sure that this guy isn’t a threat anymore.”

“Yeah, alright,” May said. “He’s grounded anyway.”

“I’ll be as fast as I can,” Tony said guiltily, feeling like they were being too hard on him.

“He’s only fifteen. This is probably the biggest thing that’s ever happened to him. Don’t worry too much.”

“I’ll try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tell me what y'all think :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO sorry for the wait, though this chapter is a little bit longer than most. It's also very self-indulgent. I hope you enjoy :)

May sent Tony a video of Peter trying and failing multiple times to tie his tie. Tony barked out a laugh and sent her a video of a tutorial. She responded with Peter fully dressed for homecoming, commenting that he was going with a pretty girl named Liz. Tony told her to tell him good luck from him. She texted back, promising she would.

Tony still felt bad about the entire situation. He kept himself locked up in the tower for a few days, feeling like everyone was against him. As if the Rogue situation wasn’t concerning enough, he had to deal with everyone thinking he was mentally unstable. That, and he managed to have to different people upset at him.

He hadn’t talked to Stephen in a while. He didn’t even know what he was up to since he didn’t live at the compound. That was an entirely different sense of displeasure he was feeling. His own thoughts were attacking him since it seemed, no matter where he turned, there was something to be upset about. Really, he was just wallowing in self-pity.

This extra-long session was interrupted on the same night as Peter’s homecoming, where he thought he would be safe because it wass a high school dance. Tony was drinking coffee even though it was past nine and thinking about upgrading Peter’s suit while he had it. Those thoughts were interrupted when the power on his floor went out. That wasn’t something that was _ever_ supposed to happen with the arc reactor technology, therefore a bit concerning.

“FRIDAY?” Tony called out, trusting her to operate on backup power. She didn’t respond. “Shit.” Tony’s suit was down in the lab, a floor down he could only reach by stairs at this point. He had a bad feeling about taking the stairs.

He opened the door slowly, peeking into the stairwell before moving inside. He stood for a while, trying to hear anybody else. He was higher than any of the workers were supposed to be this time at night. Tony went down a floor, groaning to himself when he realized the keypad wouldn’t work without the power. The doors were unlocked by default. Tony sent off a quick text to Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy, telling them what the situation was if they hadn’t heard already. Swiftly, Tony made his way over to one of his suits, he stopped and fell to the ground when something shocked him. Someone clicked their tongue from beside him.

“Oh, Stark,” an unfamiliar voice spoke lowly. Tony could hear their footsteps as they got closer. He was unable to move, still twitching on the ground. “Is this what happens when technology fails you?” Tony wanted to bark back a retort, but he couldn’t get his tongue to work. “It’s pitiful, really, when things fail out of nowhere.” The person flipped him over, allowing Tony to see their mask. “You don’t know me, by the way. I know your brain is working up in there to try and figure it out, but you don’t tend to find out the identities of anyone who is below you.”

Tony tried to gag something out, but he felt like he was choking. It was Obadiah and the arc reactor all over again. He couldn’t gain control of his body, and it was causing him to panic.

“You’ll be fine, by the way. The tech I use, admirable isn’t it? One of my boys designed this one. You’ll be indisposed for about an hour, at least, that’s if I grabbed the right one this time.” The man behind the mask laughed. “I don’t want you. For once, you get to see what it’s like to be below someone else.” The masked man said, spreading his arms out as he stood over Tony. “I hope you don’t mind if I borrow a few things, though, stuff that should have been mine anyway.”

The masked man walked away, leaving Tony to choke and struggle on the ground. He couldn’t figure out what was making him feel this way, but he couldn’t just lay there while this psycho was roaming his building. He tried to reach out to grab something but failed, barely noticing when shards of glass decorated the floor. Footsteps pounded before they landed in front of Tony.

“Oh, my god, Mr. Stark, are you okay?” Tony recognized Peter’s panicked voice before he looked up to see the kid. He looked roughed up and was covered in dust. “Oh no, he got to you already.” Tony felt Peter pluck something off of him, making Tony relax instantly. He looked at what Peter was holding. It looked very similar to a Widow Bite, only looking a lot less sleek.

“Pete?” Tony slurred. “What are you doing here.”

“Oh, my god, Mr. Stark. You’ll never believe it. The Vulture guy was my date’s dad, and I knew he was coming here. I know you said to stay out of it, but I couldn’t get in contact with you, and I knew he was coming, so I had to do something—” Peter rambled really fast, cutting himself off. “Oh, I should go stop him.”

“Wait!” Tony said, grabbing the kid’s arm. Peter helped him stand up. Tony stumbled his way towards a suit.

“Mr. Stark, you can’t pilot a suit. You can barely walk.”

“I’m not letting you go alone, Pete,” Tony slurred, holding himself up on a nearby table.

“You’re going to fall over any second—”

“Not with the suit on.”

“You need to rest,” Peter asserted with a panicked voice. Tony barely heard it, since he could feel his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. “I’ll handle it.”

“No…” Tony protested, slowly sliding to the floor. Peter was in front of him saying something, but Tony couldn’t make out what he was saying. His eyes closed no matter how hard he fought it.

* * *

Tony woke up in his tower’s medical, his joints stiff. He groaned as he tried to sit up, gaining the attention of whoever was in the room who ended up helping him. Tony got his mouth on a straw and satisfied his thirst before blinking to see who was helping him. Stephen was in his usual robe getup.

“Steph?” Tony croaked out, confused as to what was going on. Stephen didn’t respond, letting Tony drink more before setting the cup down.

“I guess I can’t blame you for this one,” Stephen said, motioning to Tony’s body in the med bed. “He did break into your home.”

“He?” Tony whispered. The memories started to flood back in, making Tony jerk up straighter. He groaned and tried to rub at his back, making the pain in his shoulder worse. “Shit.”

“Sit back,” Stephen demanded.

“Where’s Peter?” Tony asked desperately.

“He’s been here all night. He’s sleeping in a guest room upstairs,” Stephen informed him. “He was here before anyone else. Pepper and Rhodey were here earlier. Pepper left for business, promising to return in a few hours. Rhodey said he would return when he knew you were awake.”

“That’s because he was here when everything went down,” Tony said, letting himself relax a bit. “Wait, what day is it?”

“It’s about seven a.m. the next day. You haven’t missed anything. Did he see Spiderman?”

“I don’t know. Why didn’t you ask him?”

“Because he was exhausted, probably from the trauma this caused your poor intern,” Stephen sighed. “No one’s been able to get a hold of Spiderman since.”

“That’s annoying,” Tony snorted, earning an eyebrow raise from Stephen. “What?”

“Do you know something?”

“Jesus, Stephen, I’ve been passed out in bed for about ten hours,” Tony denied. “Where’s my phone?”

“Right, sorry,” Stephen apologized softly. He handed Tony his phone, where Tony could see messages from Pepper and Rhodey. Tony looked back up at him.

“No, I’m sorry,” Tony said. Stephen stared at him.

“For?”

“How I acted before,” Tony said. Both of them smiled at the déjà vu. “When I was telling you about the Rogues at the compound. I didn’t mean to sound so arrogant. I know you guys are looking out for me”

“I didn’t mean to make you sound like a child,” Stephen responded. “You’re one of the smartest men I’ve ever met.”

“Oh, you sure know how to flatter a guy, Steph,” Tony joked, completely avoiding addressing his feelings. Stephen just smiled and shook his head. “Can you send Peter down when he gets up?” In a flash, Tony started to look through his messages from Rhodey, which consisted of a run down of what happened last night, including Peter’s involvement.

“You need to rest.”

“I want to see him,” Tony whined. Stephen rolled his eyes without any real heat and sighed.

“This goes against my doctor tendencies,” Stephen quipped.

“Mr. Parker is already requesting to see you, Boss,” FRIDAY alerted him. Tony stuck his tongue out at Stephen.

“Let him in, FRI,” Tony replied. Peter walked in wearing Tony’s older clothes, clearly a move made by Rhodey since he was the only one who knew about him. He was rubbing his eyes, clearly having just woken up. “Hey, kid.”

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter said with a watery voice. Tony shared an expression with Stephen. Stephen nodded before leaving to give them some time alone. “Mr. Stark, I’m so—”

“Come here, kid,” Tony requesting, cutting him off and nodding over. Peter walked until he was by Tony’s side. Tony flinched when moving his arm to hug Peter. Peter, realizing what he was doing, bent down to spare Tony the effort. “You did good.”

“I’m so sorry. You got hurt because of me—”

“I got hurt because of Toomes,” Tony said.

“How do you—” Tony held up his phone, effectively cutting Peter off.

“Rhodey told me that they’ve got the guy in custody because of Spiderman,” Tony explained with a smile. “Therefore, saving my life.”

“I think he’s being a bit dramatic,” Peter sputtered. “He wasn’t going to kill you.”

“Either way, we have you to thank.” Peter blushed heavily, looking down at his shoes in a flustered manner. “I’m serious, Peter. I’m really proud of you.”

“I wasn’t going to just let him attack you. You don’t have to thank me.”

“Peter, I’m sorry I took away your suit.” Peter’s head snapped up. “I was angry at you for not listening to me, not going to lie. But I was even more afraid, since you could have gotten yourself killed.” Peter bit his lip. “You can speak. I’m not going to forbid you.”

“You take that risk every time you put on the Iron Man suit,” Peter pointed out quietly.

“Yup,” Tony admitted. “And I drive Pepper crazy with worry every time. Look, I realize May and I can’t baby you for the rest of your life, but you need to understand that you still have the rest of your life. I know it feels like it, but Spiderman _isn’t_ your life. Your life is being Peter Parker.” Peter was looking at him tearfully, nodding along. “I was the same way. Yeah, I am Iron Man, but I value being Tony Stark even more.”

“I’m sorry for putting on the suit when you told me not to,” Peter mumbled.

“You can stop with the apologies. I’ll just assume we’ve both established that we’re sorry,” Tony sighed. “I can’t prevent you from being Spiderman. I can’t force you to do anything. All I can do is hope you come to understand why it’s important that you wait until you start doing this big stuff.”

“I get it,” Peter said. Tony raised an eyebrow skeptically. “I’m serious. No more chasing villains and exploding ferries—"

“I’m giving you the suit back,” Tony interrupted. Peter’s jaw dropped.

“Really?” Peter practically squealed.

“Uh, don’t back out of this no chasing big baddies and no exploding ferries deal,” Tony said while holding a finger up.

“No, no, no! I get it! Friendly neighborhood Spiderman, I can do that!” Peter said excitedly. Tony’s eyebrow twitched.

“Friendly neighborhood Spiderman?” Tony teased. Peter blushed.

“Yeah, like you said—I mean…yeah?” Peter stuttered.

“Fine by me,” Tony said, relaxing a bit more. “Tell me about this Liz girl.” Peter immediately groaned.

“No, Mr. Stark. It’s awful.”

“I bet,” Tony laughed. “You ditched her at homecoming.”

“No, don’t you remember yesterday?” Tony shook his head. “Toomes is her father!” Tony blinked at him before he burst out laughing. “Mr. Stark, it’s not funny!”

“You have to have the worst luck ever!” Tony continued to chuckle, ignoring the pain it caused. Whatever Toomes used really did a number on him.

“She doesn’t know I’m Spiderman. She left probably thinking I’m a huge druggie or something. Oh, man. That must have been the worst school dance for her _ever_ ,” Peter groaned, letting his head fall into his hands.

“It’s a shame that all the kids who have crushes on you on Twitter don’t know that you’re an awkward mess with nerdy tendencies.”

* * *

“What exactly are you doing this for?” Pepper asked, leaning forward on her desk.

“For Peter. I said that already,” Tony said.

“For Peter?” Pepper repeated skeptically.

“He deserves it. He says he’s focusing on the ‘high school thing’ now, so I want to reward him,” Tony explained. Pepper’s eyebrow perked up.

“The ‘high school thing.’”

“Yeah, he had this thing where nothing mattered except Spiderman, making high school beneath him. Now, he’s ready to face it head one, get good grades, and go to MIT.”

“Did he say MIT?” Pepper asked with a smile.

“I may have been the one to suggest MIT,” Tony admitted. “Not the point. The point is that I want him to appreciate what he has. What better way to do that than bringing his friends to his place of work for him to show off?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a car…” Pepper joked. “I’m kidding. Don’t buy him a car.”

“He doesn’t have his license yet,” Tony waved her off, missing her concerned look. “It’s a celebration for the Decathlon team too since they won.”

“Don’t you think this is a little overboard?” Pepper said in an unsure tone. “I mean, you guys made up. Why don’t you just take him to a football game or something?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Pep. We are men of science.” Pepper pursed her lips and hummed.

“The team is a bit big, isn’t it? Our ‘tours’ are pretty exclusive. We don’t usually do higher than five people. Also, what would we show them? I doubt they want to see the same stops business executives do.” She emphasized tours since they were usually only given to business partners are exclusive visitors. R&D wasn’t usually something they liked to show off.

“Get one of the college interns you hired to do it,” Tony suggested. “They’re a tech school. Let them see the labs and stuff. We’ll cater from somewhere fancy for them and the interns.”

“Aren’t you generous?” Pepper jested, writing down some of his requests.

“I try,” Tony said with a smirk.

“Why do I feel like you have an unspoken ulterior motive?” Pepper asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I don’t.”

“Are you going to show up on this tour?” Tony pretended to think before nodding.

“Most likely.” Pepper gave him an impassive look. “I just want to say hi.”

“You want me to create a tour for Peter’s team just so you can embarrass him on it?” Pepper exasperated.

“I’m not doing it to embarrass him! I’m Tony Stark. They’d be excited to see me.”

“How about you give a demonstration or something, so you don’t look like a weirdo,” Pepper suggested.

“What, you don’t think I could pull of the eccentric genius?”

“Oh eccentric isn’t the word I’d use,” Pepper muttered, writing down some more plans. “Plan something to show the team, please.”

“Deal.” Tony stood up. “Tell me when you have it done.”

“Are you going to tell Peter about this?”

“I thought I’d just let him find out at school.”

* * *

Peter stormed in the lab, throwing his bag aside and sitting down next to Tony, who was working on a new suit.

“Hey, Pete. Want to see what I’m working on? I’m starting to develop nanotech—”

“Why do you hate me?” Peter cried out. Tony looked up slowly, blinking at him.

“Huh?”

“Why do you hate me?”

“I thought we established that I don’t,” Tony responded with a frown. Peter showed him the paper he had clenched in his hand. It was a permission slip. “Oh, shit. That was quick.”

“Mr. Stark, why?” Peter cried out dramatically.

“What? I thought you’d like this!” Tony defended himself. “You’re always going on and on about how no believes you about the internship!”

“I’ve established anonymity on my account. I’ve indulged my true self on Twitter in confidence that my identity would never be revealed.” Tony blinked at him.

“I don’t know why you did that. You already have a secret identity. Isn’t have another one a bit much?” Peter glared at him. “They don’t have to know it’s your account. If you’re so ashamed of me, just pretend that you’re a basic intern.”

“I’m not ashamed,” Peter sputtered. “I just…”

“You don’t have to go, Peter,” Tony sighed. “But I can’t cancel it after I offered it to the rest of your classmates.”

“I don’t want you to cancel it,” Peter said, throwing his head back and clenching his eyes shut. “I’ll go.”

“Really? Great!”

“You can’t give away that it’s my account.”

“Lips are sealed kid.”

* * *

Peter stayed pretty silent on the bus, only indulging in conversation when Ned pushed him into it to relax him. His phone was heavy in his pocket, the Twitter notifications turned off. Everyone was buzzing with excitement, never having even imagined to be in the building, let alone get a tour.

“Holy shit, Peter. You work here?” Ned gasped out, his face pressed against the window.

“He wishes,” Flash called out. He, like everyone else, was too busy gaping at the tower to come up with a more impactful quip.

They all filed out of the bus, the students gaping even more at the lobby. Ned kept hitting Peter and pointing to stuff, forgetting that Peter had been in this lobby many times. Flash was already taking pictures.

“Really, Flash. What’s so interesting about the lobby?” MJ deadpanned, squinting at him judgingly.

“It’s evidence that I’m here,” Flash said, turning around to get different spots.

“It doesn’t take being the president to get into the lobby,” MJ responded dully.

“No, but I want to find out who the Tony Stark intern is. We’re Twitter friends, so I’m positive he’ll come out if he knows I’m here,” Flash bragged. Peter scrunched up his eyebrows. He definitely wasn’t Twitter friends with Flash.

“He does not follow you,” Ned scoffed.

“No, but he’s liked one of my tweets before,” Flash explained like it was obvious. Ned and Peter shared a look of annoyance.

“He’s retweeted three of mine,” MJ retorted, pulling up her Twitter as proof. Peter frowned, not remembering having done that. It made sense since her handle and name gave away nothing about her true identity. Peter did in fact recognize the tweets. Flash sputtered as he tried to come up with an excuse, but everyone else had moved on.

“Pull out the passes I gave you,” Mr. Harrington called out to the group. Peter stopped.

“Passes? What passes? What is he talking about?” Ned perked up and pulled two ticket-looking cards out of his backpack.

“You would have gotten yours had you bothered to show up,” Ned teased. Peter took the ticket, reading what it said. It was a generic ticket that allowed their admittance past the gate.

“I told you I was at the doctor! I wasn’t fighting crime,” Peter whispered, rolling his eyes fondly. Ned snorted.

“Whatever you say.”

A tour guide eventually came to greet them. She was dressed casually in a Stark Industries sweatshirt and jeans, labeling herself as an intern. She introduced herself to Mr. Harrington as Lucy before addressing the team, explaining just how exclusive the tour actually was. She asked for everyone to hold their questions until they were past the gates.

Getting past was pretty simple. Peter usually used the facial recognition system through the employee entrance, but this process involved them handing their tickets to a guard before a paper wristband was put on their wrists.

“Please, don’t remove this. This signals to everyone in the building that you are visitors and are supposed to be here. Lose this, they have no way of telling,” Lucy explained. “We’re going to start off on the lower levels and make our way up, showing you different departments that work on products you probably use every day. Any questions before we get started?” Almost everyone on the team raised their hand. Lucy called on Abraham first.

“Is it true the new models of StarkPhones are being developed here?” Abraham asked.

“At this very moment, yes,” Lucy confirmed. She called on Betty next.

“What’s the typical education background for someone who works in R&D?” Lucy breathed out heavily.

“That’s a loaded question. It depends. They hire the best, of course, so many have bachelor’s and a good portion master’s. However, Stark Industries is becoming one of the leading companies to hire high paying positions without any degrees, appreciating talent without the education background. That being said, Stark Industries also helps many go back to college with financial aid. Did that answer your question?” Betty looked dumbfounded but nodded anyway. “One more before we’ll move on. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time for questions throughout the tour.” She called on Flash.

“Right, what is the typical process of acquiring an internship?” Flash asked smugly.

“Our modern internship program is still pretty new. The CEO herself sent out scouts to colleges in New York and around the world to be a part of it. It’s an invitation.”

“So there aren’t a lot.”

“No, very sparse,” Lucy answered, looking ready to move on.

“So you’d recognize one if you saw him?” Lucy looked annoyed, not sure what the kid was getting at.

“Yes, can we move on?” Lucy asked monotonously. Flash smiled and nodded. Everyone in the group seemed to look at Peter, all having the same idea in their head. Peter shrunk under their gazes.

Peter remained pretty quiet throughout the tour, reminding himself that he was doing it to save his identity and to please Mr. Stark. His mentor had thought he was doing the right thing. He couldn’t be blamed for this. Still, it sucked hearing his classmates whisper about him like he wasn’t there.

“Why would Mr. Harrington know if he’s lying or not?” One of them scoffed. “He’s not administration.”

“He must have been pretty desperate.”

They settled down in an empty conference room for lunch, where all of the other interns were invited to eat the catered food. Of course, none of them recognized Peter, since he didn’t work with any of them. That only made the judging stares of him classmates that much more intense.

“You’ll actually see some of these same faces in a few minutes,” Lucy informed them. “We’re going down to the labs dedicated to them for developing their own projects. After that, we have a special presentation to end the tour.”

The intern labs were actually pretty cool. Peter got a kick out of looking around just like everyone else, excited to see what was being made.

“Aren’t you supposed to recognize it, Parker?” Flash jabbed, seeing the look of awe on Peter’s face. Peter blushed, ignoring the comments. “Hey, do you know this guy?” Peter walked away before he could get ridiculed in front of a bunch of college kids.

“I’m sorry, dude. This must suck for you,” Ned said, seeing Peter’s downtrodden expression.

“It’s fine,” Peter muttered.

“I wish you’d just tell everyone,” Ned said with a shrug. “They’d have no choice but to believe you if you posted a photo or something.”

“Ned, I can’t! I’ve probably said something about all of them!” Peter exclaimed. Ned snorted.

“Yeah, I remember,” Ned said fondly, probably thinking back to some memorable ones.

“Remember what?” MJ scared both of them by sneaking up.

“Peter runs the intern account,” Ned admitted. Peter’s jaw dropped.

“Sweet,” MJ replied. “You have a lot of followers.”

“What the hell, Ned!” Peter whispered.

“To be fair, I didn’t think she’d believe me?” Ned said with a nervous chuckle.

“I definitely already knew. You told everyone you interned here,” MJ said like it was obvious.

“I never said I was Tony Stark’s intern,” Peter retaliated.

“Well, clearly none of the other interns know you here, so that eliminates that option,” MJ explained.

“I could be lying about the entire thing,” Peter said pathetically.

“Oh yeah, then why are you trying so hard to convince me you’re not it?” MJ narrowed her eyes at him. Peter blushed deeply. “That’s what I thought.”

“She’s good,” Ned admitted.

Peter was more than welcoming to the end of the tour, which was a presentation. They were back in the conference room. Most of them were tired, ready to doze off while they were waiting for whatever was going to happen. Everyone perked up a bit when Pepper Potts walked into the room.

“Sorry, I’m late. We had a switch up with what was supposed to be happening here,” Pepper greeted, walking to the front of the room. “I’ll keep this short, since you’re all clearly tired.” Almost immediately, everyone protested, more than shocked to be in the same room as the CEO. Pepper was taken back, not expecting that sort of reaction from high schoolers. Even MJ looked like she was deeply invested. “Oh, okay.”

Pepper started talking casually about some of the things Stark Industries did, starting with a backstory on the company and Howard Stark. Everyone seemed interested in the little history lesson she provided. She went on a short tangent to give a candid story of how she actually became CEO, making everyone laugh at Tony Stark’s antics and random nature. She held their attention for the better part of an hour before ending it.

“I hope I didn’t bore you to death,” Pepper said, still unused to the active attention she was getting. “And I hope you had a good tour. Congratulations, once again, to winning the tournament.” Pepper exchanged a look with Peter before she left. Mr. Harrington requested that everyone stay seated as they wait for the bus to return.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Ned said with a shrug.

“She’s amazing,” MJ said, expressing more emotion than the two of them had ever seen in her.

“She is pretty amazing,” Peter agreed.

“Are you coming back here?” Ned questioned.

“No,” Peter snorted. “I’m going to go home and probably nap for five hours.” The three of them began to talk about their favorite parts of the tour, with MJ surprising them with her extreme observations and wit. They didn’t even notice the way the room fell silent.

“Holy shit, I’m sorry,” Tony said as he entered the room, immediately gaining the kids’ attention. “I wasn’t actually here, so I had to drive here, but there was traffic, and now the CEO is mad at me…” Tony cut himself off when he saw that Peter and his friends were still chatting in the corner. “Hey, kid, have some respect.” If the room wasn’t already quiet, it would have gone dead silent at the fact that Tony Stark just told off Peter for talking in his presence. None of them had noticed that Tony didn’t say it with any real malice.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark,” Peter stuttered out, only just now noticing he was in the room.

“So this is the little nerd group that won in D.C.?” Tony said. Everyone nodded enthusiastically. “Congrats, except for Peter, of course.” Everyone seemed to pause, the realization that Tony Stark knew Peter’s name sinking in. One by one, their heads turned to look at the kid sitting in the back of the room with a red face.

“I thought we were past this?” Peter pleaded awkwardly, trying to convey with his eyes that he wanted Tony to drop it.

“We’ll never be over that!” Tony said dramatically. “Anyways, how was the tour?” There was a pause before various answers of “good” were thrown his way. “Great, we serve nothing but the best. Now, my CEO told to me to prepare a presentation, which I didn’t do. Then I proceeded to be very late, so, for a second, I thought it wouldn’t matter anyway. Then I had this brilliant idea, so I rushed down here. Do you guys want to see my idea?” Peter felt uneasy, but everyone else enthusiastically cheered. Tony went to open the conference door. One-by-one, robots of different shapes and sizes began to fill the room. Peter’s jaw dropped when he recognized each and every one of them.

“Oh no…” Peter whispered. Ned and MJ gave him a strange look.

“I see your horrified face, Pete!” Tony called out, pointing directly at Peter. Everyone switched between looking at Peter and looking at the bots. “These fifty plus bots are creations of your very own Peter Parker, who refuses to take any of them home, so they continue to fill up mine.” Peter let his head drop into his hands.

“These are Parker’s?” Flash asked in disbelief. Tony nodded, making everyone’s eyes bug out.

“He’s the Stark intern!” Abraham shouted out smartly, making everyone turn to see Peter frantically shaking his head. Tony looked apologetic for all of two seconds before shrugging.

“Technically, he’s the Tony Stark intern,” Tony corrected with a smile.

“Why do you hate me?” Peter asked dramatically.

“Oh, my god, you were talking about us on there!” Betty shouted out in realization. Everyone else whipped out their phones to scroll through the account, pointing out tweets that made it seem obvious that it was Peter the entire time.

“Look what you’ve done!” Peter cried out.

“Sorry. Now you know the importance of secret identities,” Tony teased.

Tony didn’t stay for long, leading the army of robots back up to the lab. Everyone looked at Peter differently after that, differently from the judgmental gazes they were giving him before. Peter said nothing to no one as he sat in the back of the bus with Ned and MJ.

“That could have gone worse,” Ned tried to lift the mood.

“I think it’s hilarious,” MJ added. “Now you can follow me instead of stalking me like a creep.”

“I don’t stalk you!” Peter cried out with a blush.

“Sure, Parker.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't really have an excuse for why this took so long to upload. I'm sorry! I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

Tony was in a pretty good spot, still not used to the positive attention. It was barely a year ago that Tony was putting up with the deprecating dinners and lectures from Steve. Now, he felt like he could go to the compound to visit with Stephen without any obligations.

Getting close to the man had happened so naturally and quickly that Tony was so taken back whenever someone made comments about it. It didn’t feel like long ago that Tony was too afraid to even be around him, too angry to be around him. He had reminded him of Steve in a few ways. Now, Tony felt like he couldn’t remember what he used to do if he wasn’t being kept busy by Stephen portaling into his home like he lived there.

“Is there something going on?” Stephen asked. Tony had driven them there for once, telling Stephen to slow down and enjoy life. Stephen had given him a deadpan look but got into the car anyway. The arrived at the compound to find none of the other Avengers in sight.

“I don’t know. Is it my birthday?” Tony speculated.

“It’s November,” Stephen reminded him softly.

“Oh, yeah, right. Is it someone else’s birthday?”

“Maybe they’re in a lab,” Stephens suggested, already walking to the lower levels. Tony followed after him absentmindedly, going over everyone’s birthdays in his heads. When they reached the lower level, they were able to find everyone behind a glass wall. Stephen knocked on the door before punching in the code to get in.

“Jesus, why aren’t you guys answering your phones?” Sam called out. Tony patted his pockets, surprised to find he didn’t have it on him.

“Oh, I think I left mine at home. Stephen doesn’t believe in phones,” Tony said, ignoring the nudge Stephen gave him. “Why? What’s going on?” Tony glanced around the room to see everyone with grave expressions. “Is it the Rogues?”

“What?” Barnes said. “No. Just come look.” Tony moved to peer over his shoulder and look at the monitor. It was a message. Everyone waited for Tony’s reaction as he read it.

“Right…” Tony said. “That’s interesting.”

“You believe it?” Sam asked. Tony barked out a laugh.

“It’s a pretty specific message,” Tony pointed out. “I’m interested in finding out what’s happening whether it’s true or not, if I’m being honest.”

“You probably know him better than all of us,” Barnes said.

“Eh…” Tony hesitated, shrugging. “Sure. Let’s bring them down. We’re the Avengers. We can handle it.”

“Should we wait for the Rogues to return?” Stephen suggested.

“That could be weeks still,” Tony said. “We can’t just keep them waiting…”

“Yes, we could,” Sam scoffed. “If it’s a threat.”

“It’s fine. Let’s message them back,” Tony decided. Everyone shared a look before Sam sat down to type back. An uneasy feeling was shared among the occupants in the room as the message was sent off. “It can’t be long now. Let’s suit up.”

“I wouldn’t have worn the jeans you insisted I wore if I knew there would be trouble,” Stephen complained as they walked outside the compound together.

“They look good on you. I can actually see your ass while you fight—or not fight. We’re totally not fighting. It’ll be fine,” Tony rambled, quickly moving on from his flirty comment like he often did. “Is that a rifle?” Barnes looked up when he heard Tony calling out to him.

“What about it?” Barnes snarked.

“You’re going to fight them with a _rifle_?”

“Are they impenetrable to bullets?” Barnes asked.

“No? I don’t know!” Tony admitted. “I highly doubt that will do much damage.”

“So you don’t know,” Barnes replied. “Therefore, I will use it.” He walked off. Tony rolled his eyes.

“See what I had to put up with for months?” Tony muttered. He and Stephen caught up with the rest of the group. Sam had suited up in the Falcon getup, while Barnes had grabbed nothing else except the rifle. Wanda and Vision didn’t necessarily have anything to suit up in, especially since Wanda still wasn’t field ready. Tony had equipped the latest version of the suit while Stephen produced some shields.

All of them stood stiffly as a ship descended from the upper atmosphere. Sam had a bit of trouble convincing everyone that there wasn’t an invasion, especially since he couldn’t say with good faith that there wasn’t any danger. No one made a move when it landed where directed. Tony could feel the tension rise when a door appeared, and a ramp descended.

Thor looked different, to say the least. His signature long, blonde locks were long gone, replaced with a modern cut that made Tony blink twice. He was also wearing something different from his usual getup, free of the red cape. That wasn’t what they were staring at. Instead, everyone’s eyes were locked on the figure walking beside him: Loki.

“I think we definitely have a problem,” Stephen whispered to Tony.

“What’s going on here?” Tony called out, stepping out in front of the group. Thor recognized what the problem was and was already moving to step in front of Loki.

“Calm down, comrades,” Thor said with a bright smile. “We mean well.”

“Yeah? Because the last time he was here, we had a big problem,” Tony snarked. Thor’s smile dropped into a more serious expression as he approached Tony slowly.

“I realize that, but I thought from the message that it was clear that we were here to help.”

“Help what exactly?” Tony asked. “Because, as of right now, we aren’t in danger?”

“You’ve always been in danger, Stark, and you knew that,” Thor pointed out softly. Tony immediately knew what he was referring to Ultron.

“What’s going on?” Tony breathed out. Thor nodded towards the compound.

“Can we talk inside?” Thor asked. Tony’s eyes flickered back to Loki, who was giving him the same scrutinizing glare that Tony was giving him. Unlike Thor, he still had all of his hair, but there was still something different about him that pushed Tony towards slight compassion.

“Fine.” Tony looked back towards the rest of the group who hadn’t put their weapons down. He nodded towards the building before he started to walk back, everyone circling their new company. Tony led them to a boardroom, taking the suit off before sitting down. Everyone else sat around, with Loki and Thor at the head of the table.

“Thank you,” Thor said when they were all settled. “First—”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Tony interrupted. “First I want to talk about him.” Tony pointed at Loki. “Also…” Tony gestured to his own hair. Thor automatically reached a hand up to touch the short locks, smiling for half a second.

“Yes, that. It’s complicated—”

“Uncomplicate it,” Tony demanded. “Because no one here is comfortable.”

“Loki is a part of the reason why you need protection,” Thor said in a grim tone. “I’m here to talk about a titan named Thanos.” Tony blinked at him. “He’s responsible for the Battle of New York.” Everyone in the room stiffened.

“You mean the same thing we hold that nutjob accountable for?” Tony asked, pointing at Loki.

“As flattering as it is that you think I could pull something like that off by myself,” Loki said slowly, immediately gaining everyone’s hostile attention, “I am but a mere pawn.”

“They got chess up on Asgard?” Tony snorted.

“Asgard is destroyed,” Thor said.

“What?” Tony stuttered. “Did this Thanos guy do that?”

“No, it’s unrelated. However, we almost lost everything before we came here. We nearly ran into his entire army, but we managed to get away.”

“How does this explain Loki?”

“Loki’s scepter was not his own, but a tool given by Thanos,” Thor started to explain. “It contained the Mind Stone, which you already know.” Thor nodded at Vision. “Just like Loki used it to control others, Thanos used it to control him.”

“For what? What did he want?”

“The same as he wants with the rest of the universe.” Thor exchanged a look with Loki. “He wants to kill half the population of every planet, everywhere in the universe.”

“Why would he want that? That’s insane.” Sam grunted.

“He sees himself as a visionary. The universe has depleted itself of its resources, and the only way to solve that is the deplete the population.”

“So, what? He goes to every planet, conquering and killing?” Tony asked. Thor shook his head.

“He did before, but he has bigger plans now. He wants the Infinity Stones.” Thor said the name like it held a lot of weight, but everyone else just looked at each other to see if anyone else knew what he was talking about. “The Mind Stone is one of them.”

“The Time Stone is another,” Stephen breathed, bringing the attention to him. Tony blinked at him.

“You knew about this?” Tony asked. Stephen frowned at him.

“Did I know about this mad ‘titan’ who’s supposedly coming to murder half of us? No, Tony. I did not,” Stephen snarked. “I’m not entirely sure what the Infinity Stones are. I just know that I have one.”

“Yeah? Where?” Stephen pulled the Eye of Agamotto out from under his shirt.

“That stupid necklace you purposefully wear even though I told you it clashes?” Tony muttered. Stephen ignored him, unlocking the Eye and revealing the Time Stone. Tony’s eyes seemed to bug out of his head. “Holy shit, you’ve been carrying that the entire time?”

“It is my duty as the Sorcerer Supreme to keep it protected,” Stephen explained, closing it back up as everyone eyed it.

“Thanks for sharing with the class,” Tony snarked.

“Can you guys fight like a married couple later?” Barnes said loudly. “What else do we need to know about these stones?”

“There’s six total: The Mind Stone, the Time Stone, the Space Stone, the Power Stone, the Reality Stone, and the Soul Stone. With these six stones, he can eradicate half the universe with the snap of his fingers.” Everyone bristled at that.

“Excuse me?” Sam said. “Jesus fucking Christ, please tell me you’re kidding.”

“The stones are very difficult to acquire, but it’s not an impossible mission,” Thor said grimly.

“Jesus,” Tony breathed out shakily, standing up. He had his back turned to everyone, knowing they were all looking at him. “What’s your plan Thor?”

“My plan was to get your guys’ help,” Thor admitted softly.

“The stones need to be destroyed before he can get a hold of them,” Loki said, bringing the attention back to him. He held his ground under all the judgmental stares. “His plan is only successful if he has them all, not five out of six, not four out of six, all of them.”

“We’re not destroying the Time Stone,” Stephen said. “I’m—”

“Sworn to protect it. Yes, I heard you,” Loki said with an eye roll. “I’m guessing the android’s here is out of question as well?” Loki said, eyeing Vision.

“Obviously,” Tony growled.

“Then we need to get the others, preferably more than one of them.”

“Why more than one?” Barnes asked. Loki shrugged.

“Just to be sure. I thought you’d be thrilled with being thorough.”

“Thorough would be destroying them all, but that’s not an option,” Barnes muttered. “What happens after that?”

“What do you mean?” Thor asked.

“What happens if we successfully destroy them all. What then? This Thanos guy is still on the loose going from planet to planet killing people. We can’t protect everybody.”

“Then we kill him,” Thor muttered.

“And his army?” Tony added.

“We kill them too.” Tony let out a sigh.

“I appreciate your optimism, Thor, but we need to be realistic. You said it yourself you barely escaped him. He sounds strong from what you’re telling us.” If Tony was being honest, he sounded a bit too much like Steve. It wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Whatever needs to happen, we’ll do it. We’re the Avengers,” Thor said in a determined voice before leaning back. “Speaking of which, where are the rest?” Everyone shared a sheepish look. “What?”

“They’re not here exactly,” Tony slowly started explaining. “They’re fugitives?” Thor snorted.

“Fugitives to what? To Earth? You can’t be a fugitive if you’re dead, Stark,” Thor said, standing up. “Bring them back. We need them.” Tony stood as well.

“One, I can’t control the law. I can only help enforce it. Two, they’re already coming back. Three, what use are they going to be?” Tony scoffed. “You just told us that there’s six stones total. They could be anywhere in the entire universe. We’re lucky to have two—”

“Three…” Loki said. Every turned to him, Thor in particular frowning. Like a magician, Loki pulled the tesseract out of his clothing. “Behold, the space stone.”

“It’s in the tesseract?” Tony muttered.

“Have you had that this entire time?” Thor growled at Loki.

“And we can trust him?” Sam said with a fake smile. Loki gave him a deadpan look.

“Had I not taken it, Thanos could have already gotten his hands on it by now.”

“Had you not taken it, it would have been destroyed on Asgard by now,” Thor argued.

“You don’t know that!” Loki asserted, setting the tesseract down on the table before him. “If I left it, we’d never know whether it was truly destroyed. This way, we can find a way to ensure it!”

“Now we have three stones on Midguard! We want to keep him _away_ from here, not draw him towards it!” Thor yelled back.

“Okay, let’s kill the brotherly feud,” Tony said, earning glares from both gods. “We need to destroy this stone. Then what? Why come to us to go after the others? You could be done.”

“We’re not destroying it yet,” Loki said, picking it back up. Everyone started to protest. “We need it to lure Thanos where we want him, which is farther away from the other stones.”

“I get that, but I don’t see why we should risk our necks to destroy the rest when we have one—possibly two—” Tony gestured to Stephen, who shook his head, “here.”

“Even if Thanos can’t get his hands on all of them, he’ll want to get his hands on the rest,” Loki said grimly. “The rest of the stones are powerful and could provide a huge advantage in his goal to destroy half the universe, even if he has to do it planet by planet. The Power Stone, the Reality Stone, and the Soul Stone are dangerous in his hands.”

“Okay,” Tony agreed. “But we can’t do this on our own, even if I bring the rest of them back. Steve, Clint, Natasha? They’re only human, just like the rest of us.”

“No, but I know someone…multiple people, actually,” Thor muttered. Loki looked over at him.

“Really? I’m open ears,” Tony sighed, sitting back down. Thor was silent in thought for a moment.

“They call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy. I’ve heard of them…”

“But you’ve never met them?” Thor shook his head. “How do we know they aren’t on his side?”

“Well, based on their name alone…” Sam said. “I say we give it a try.”

“Who are they? How do you know them?”

“It’s just a rumor, but I’ve heard one of their members is a daughter of Thanos,” Thor murmured.

“He has children?”

“Adopted,” Loki clarified, giving a tight smile when everyone looked at him. “He takes children when he conquers planets.”

“They were responsible in stopping a Kree lord named Ronan the Accuser,” Thor explained. “He was after the Power Stone.”

“Do they have it?” Tony asked. Thor shook his head.

“They gave it away for protection. This was years ago,” Thor sighed. “It doesn’t matter. They can help us.” Tony wasn’t entirely pleased with the situation, but he shrugged and nodded anyway.

“Yeah, whatever helps.”

“I think we should contact Nick Fury,” Vision suggested, speaking up for the first time. It had been more than obvious that he was uncomfortable when the topic shifted to the Mind Stone, which was the source of his life. “I believe he may have some valuable contacts.”

“Unless you’re telling me that Fury knows some more aliens, I don’t think he’d be very useful,” Tony responded.

“It’s worth a shot,” Thor said, nodding at Vision.

“What are we doing, inviting them here?” Tony said nervously. Thor’s expression changed, looking a bit nervous. “What?”

“I was going to go back into space to send out a distress call for them,” Thor admitted. “But I needed a favor. It has to do with Asgard’s destruction.”

“Yeah, I was going to ask about that,” Sam said. “That sounds pretty serious.”

“I managed to save most civilians,” Thor said. “But I need asylum for them.” Tony blinked at him.

“For all of Asgard?” Tony clarified. Thor nodded. Tony turned to look at everyone, who was giving him the same blank stares.

“Why are you looking at us?” Barnes muttered. “You’re the most powerful man in this room.”

“You want me to find housing for an entire planet?”

“It’s not as big as you think,” Thor said, squinting his eyes. “Think of it less as a planet and more as a large city. They’re waiting.”

“They’re waiting?” Thor pointed up. “In space?” Thor nodded.

“We have limited supplies. There are children and ill,” Thor explained.

“Yeah, okay. I get it. I’m just struggling to think of how I’m going to find a place for everyone…” Tony stressed.

“We’ll have time while Thor is trying to reach the Guardians,” Vision reassured him. “Everything else is on back burner now.”

“You’re getting better at metaphors, Vis,” Tony complimented. “Alright fine. I’ll find somewhere large enough for you to land and go about finding shelter for everyone.

“There’s something else,” Thor said with a nervous chuckle.

“Jesus, what now? Is it a good or bad surprise?” Tony said.

“I left it back on the ship,” Thor said, pointing back outside. “I wanted to, uh, clear the air first.” Tony and the others stood.

“No, it’s fine. Let’s go.” Tony and the others followed Thor outside. Stephen patted Tony’s shoulder, still sensing Tony’s nerves. Tony had to fight off a blush, wondering what was wrong with him. Thor walked up to the ship, smiling back at them before knocking on the ship.

“Hey, it’s me!” Thor stood patiently, waiting for the ship’s entrance to open. He knocked again. “Seriously, guys. This is embarrassing.” They all heard a crash from inside, making the group tense. “No, no, it’s fine,” Thor reassured them. The door finally started to open. “Come on out.”

Tony didn’t know what exactly he was expecting, but he could say with complete confidence that it wasn’t the Hulk. But there he was, walking beside a woman who looked like she had trouble walking steadily.

“Bruce?” Tony whispered. Stephen raised an eyebrow at him as Tony walked closer. “Holy shit.” From the corner of his eye, Tony could see Wanda step back behind Vision.

“Tin Man!” Hulk roared out, smiling. That was the weirdest part of the entire thing. Hulk was walking casually beside this girl. The woman squinted at Tony before sauntering up.

“So you’re the one Thor was going on about,” she slurred. Tony just watched blankly as she brought a bottle of some type of liquor to her mouth, chugging it down.

“I’m flattered he talked about me,” Tony replied. She snorted, holding out her hand.

“Brunnhilde, but these idiots usually call me Valkyrie,” Valkyrie introduced herself. Tony shook her hand. She had a very strong grip. “For some reason, Thor kept insisting we needed your guys’ help. He mentioned you a lot. He also mentioned others. Where’s the hot blonde one?” Valkyrie asked, looking around. “Or the pretty redhead?”

“Thor’s words?” Tony asked.

“Mine based off the descriptions,” Valkyrie smirked. She lazily brought a hand up to his face and tapped it lightly a couple times. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

“Wow, thanks.” Tony’s eyes flickered over to Thor who was giving him a toothy grin. “Is she part of the favor?”

“Uh, yes. I promise I’d promote her rank, so she’s now an ambassador for Asgard,” Thor said. “She also gets along very well with the Hulk.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure I understand this entire situation,” Stephen said, motioning the Hulk.

“Glad you asked!” Thor said, walking closer to the group. “See, I found him on a planet called Sakaar. He had crash there in the quinjet—”

“In the quinjet?” Tony interrupted. “That was after Ultron. That was two years ago!”

“Yeah, and he was Hulk for most of those two years,” Thor said. “I found him and the quinjet. When I powered it up, a video of Natasha started to play. He was able to transform into Bruce again until I had to battle my evil sister on Asgard, where he sacrificed himself bravely so we could win—”

“I’m sorry,” Sam interrupted. “I feel like I’m missing a lot of details here.”

“Not important,” Thor chuckled. “Anyway, he’s been like this since. That’s a part of the favor. I need Natasha.” Tony nodded understandingly.

“Wouldn’t it be the same if I just, I don’t know, played a video of Natasha?” Tony suggested.

“Maybe? I don’t know. I’m hoping you’ll deal with it. He’s one of our best friends, isn’t he?” Thor said, clapping his hand on Tony’s shoulder.

“Yeah, well—”

“And another thing,” Thor said, turning to look at Loki. Tony saw where this was going.

“I—Thor, no. That’s a really bad idea—”

“He’s had a change of heart—”

“He’s killed people—”

“And he can help you with any information you’ll need,” Thor kept rambling.

“No!”

“We’ll keep him.” Tony’s head snapped towards Stephen. Stephen looked at Tony. “If they’re going to return anyway, it will be better to keep an eye on him.”

“I get that, but we don’t know how long Thor will be gone. I also don’t have an exact date on the Rogue situation yet. What am I supposed to do with him?”

“I am right here,” Loki said. No one paid him any attention.

“Keep him at the tower.”

“Keep him at the tower?” Tony scoffed. “Are you kidding me?”

“If you feel unsafe, I can put magical restraints on him—” Stephen started to say. Loki frowned at this, probably not knowing until now that Stephen could wield magic.

“He could slit my throat in my sleep!” Tony complained.

“Loki would never!” Thor said, putting an arm around Loki that the god shrugged off.

“I don’t bite the hand that feeds me,” Loki said to plead his case.

“Oh, man. I have to feed him too,” Tony said dramatically. Stephen rolled his eyes and nudged Tony’s ribs. Tony flinched and glared at him. “Fine. I’ll just handle everything like I normally do I guess.”

“Yes, that’s why _you’re_ the team leader,” Thor said with emphasis, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Tony snorted.

“You can’t manipulate me, Thor. I know you. That’s why Bruce will always be the strongest Avengers.” Tony smirked, putting a hand on Hulk, who smiled triumphantly. Thor’s smile faltered, making Tony laugh some more. “Get to space, rocket man. That signal isn’t going to make itself.” Thor gave Tony a genuine smile.

“Valkyrie will handle communications with the Asgardians and be able to bring them down once you find somewhere,” Thor said. He placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “I really appreciate this.”

“Don’t mention it, point break,” Tony said. They all watched as Thor entered the ship alone, flying up into the air before leaving the atmosphere. Tony turned back to the rest of the crew to see everyone’s reactions, but they were all looking at him. Tony wasn’t exactly sure what to do.

“Vision.” Everyone turned towards Stephen as he started to talk. “Why don’t you contact Fury and let him know what we’re handling. We need access to his contacts right away.” Sam nodded. “Wilson, can you keep an eye on the Rogue situation? We need to be prepared amongst other things for their return.” Wilson nodded. “I’m going to help Tony get set up with Loki. After that, Wanda, we’re going to create a more rigorous training schedule, if you’re up to it.” Wanda nodded.

“What about him?” Tony asked, motioning to Bruce. Valkyrie put an arm around the big guy.

“He stays with me,” Valkyrie slurred with a smirk. Tony had no immediate complaints, since he thought he was dealing with enough already. He had Vision work on getting them set up in the compound since it was the only building Tony could think that would be safe enough.

Tony, Stephen, and Loki walked to the front of the compound to return to the car. Tony got in wordlessly, still processing everything that’s happened. Looking at Loki in the rearview mirror reminded him of the constant sense of dread that was in his stomach, knowing that his nightmares that stemmed from 2012 might come to life. He tried not to think about it when he put the car into drive.

He wasn’t exactly sure what to think about this team that Thor was recruiting. Sure, having allies not on Earth would be more than beneficial, but how were they to stop a being as powerful as the one Thor described and his entire army? Tony realized they were going to need more than the Avengers.

“It’s quaint,” Loki said when they arrived at the tower. Neither Tony nor Stephen said anything in response, mentally worn out though it had only been a few hours since they left. Tony decided to set him up in Barnes’ old apartment, which Loki was clearly not expecting given the surprised look he had on his face while walking around.

“What were you expecting, a cell?” Tony muttered.

“Not far off,” Loki said with a shrug. He turned to Stephen. “You’re a magic user?”

“A master,” Stephen answered. Tony watched blankly as Stephen’s orange magic appeared over Loki. Loki didn’t flinch, but he did watch with interest as Stephen did his thing.

“Eyes off the prize,” Tony mumbled out, earning glances from both of them. Loki snorted.

“I see.”

“See what?” Tony said defensively, glad the darkness was probably masking the blush that crept up on his face. He was getting too old for this.

“No fighting,” Stephen chastised once the magic disappeared.

“What exactly did you do?” Tony questioned.

“He can’t use malicious magic towards you,” Stephen said, plucking a strand of hair from Tony’s head. Tony automatically flinched, glaring at Stephen as he rubbed the spot he plucked from. Tony watched as it glowed orange before disappearing. “If he uses malicious magic towards anyone else, I’ll know.” Tony’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Shouldn’t you block that too?” Tony asked. Stephen shrugged.

“He might need to defend himself.”

“Don’t say that!” Tony groaned, throwing his head back for dramatic effect. “Now you’ve got me paranoid.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll have him to protect you,” Stephen said with a sickly-sweet smile. Tony scowled at him.

“You’re unbearable.”

“This is sweet and all,” Loki interrupted, making both of their heads snap towards him. “But I do think I need a rest after such a long trip.”

“Don’t push it,” Tony said, pointing a finger at him threateningly. Stephen pushed it away before pushing Tony towards the elevator. Tony stood there patiently while Stephen said a few last words to Loki. Stephen pressed the button for the penthouse when he entered.

“You think you can hold it together until we find a new place for them?” Stephen asked softly, looking concerned at Tony’s exhausted expression. Tony blinked tiredly at him.

“We? Are you going to help me?” Stephen rolled his eyes.

“Of course I’m going to help you, you idiot.”

“But you have to help Wanda.”

“Wanda’s my second priority,” Stephen muttered under his breath. The elevator door opened on his floor, and Tony stumbled out.

“Are you inviting yourself in?” Tony murmured as Stephen walked behind him.

“I’m making sure you go to bed,” Stephen said, following Tony into his room. Tony couldn’t recall is Stephen had ever actually been in there before. He glanced at the clock.

“It’s only nine.”

“And you’re already exhausted. Go to sleep.” Stephen demanded. Tony walked towards his bathroom, coming out changed. He twirled for Stephen like he was giving proof for his intentions. Tony collapsed in bed, not even bothering to pull up the covers. Stephen stood there a bit longer, listening to the soft snores emitting from Tony. When he finally pushed down the tingling feeling in his stomach, he turned off the lights and made a portal back to the Sanctum.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually shoved a lot into one chapter. Enjoy.

“If you don’t like it, you can cook yourself,” Tony scoffed, slamming a piece of toast onto the plate before sliding over to Loki. “Or order something like I keep telling you to.”

“I prefer to see you struggle around a kitchen,” Loki said with a smirk, taking a bite out of the toast.

“No jelly or anything, you monster?” Tony said, scrunching up his nose. Loki shrugged and took another bite. “You really are the evil brother.”

Living with Loki actually wasn’t as bad as Tony made it out to be. He was a lot different than he was when he tried to take over the world a few years ago, giving more evidence to Thor’s theory with the Mind Stone. Because of his occupancy, however, everyone felt the constant need to check up on him, especially Stephen.

“When I said he might slit my throat in my sleep, I was kidding,” Tony said when he saw Stephen portal in.

“Perhaps I just wanted to visit you?” Stephen said, nodding at Loki in greeting as he sat down.

“Ah, yes, and try some of my five-star cuisine!” Tony said dramatically, offering Stephen a plate of eggs and toast. Stephen took a piece of toast and bit into it, making Tony’s jaw drop. “You two are monsters,” Tony said in disgust.

Each day that went by without Thor telling them that he finally got a hold of the Guardians was nerve wracking. Loki here reminded him that there was an impending threat upon his life and everyone else’s, even if that threat didn’t come for years. Everyone else had started to calm down when Loki advised that they’d probably have those few years to prepare, but Tony couldn’t relax.

On top of that, the date of the Rogues’ return was impending, with the councilors throwing out random days that they could come back without any real assurance. Tony was still trying to figure out how he’d balance handling them and Thor’s potential visitors.

“How’s Wanda doing?” Tony asked.

“Much better,” Stephen answered truthfully. “In fact, I wouldn’t be afraid to put her in the field.” Tony hummed.

“That’s a surprise. It wasn’t too long ago that you were claiming that she had a long way to go.”

“She does, if she wants to become a master,” Stephen replied. Tony snorted.

“Like you?” Stephen gave him a deadpan look.

“If you didn’t appreciate my expertise, you wouldn’t have bothered me so much.”

“You’re right,” Tony admitted. “Especially since you were a dick.”

“You two had the oddest way of showing affection for each other,” Loki said with a fake smile. Tony pointed a spatula at him.

“Shut up and eat your dry toast,” he demanded. He turned back to Stephen. “I haven’t talked to Wilson in a while. Has he talked to Fury?”

“Briefly,” Stephen answered. “Apparently, Fury has a person he’s contacting.” Tony frowned.

“What does that mean? Who?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Stephen said with a shrug. “Probably better, actually, since you know the man.”

“I know he’s a spy,” Tony snorted, trying to think of who this mystery person could be. “But I’ve got nothing. I don’t really care if they can help us with what’s coming.”

“Have you found any spots?” Stephen asked. Tony perked up and headed for his tablet.

“I did!” Tony exclaimed, pulling it up for Stephen to see. “Welcome to Tønsberg.” Both Stephen and Loki studied the screen.

“It’s…quaint,” Stephen said.

“Very,” Loki added dully.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Tony said, pulling it back towards him. “Norway is a nice place. The locals have no problem with refugees.”

“You’ve asked them?” Stephen asked with a frown.

“Of course I asked them,” Tony said. “I couldn’t exactly just shove an entire population into the village and hope it worked out.”

“So they definitely know that they’re Asgardians?” Loki clarified.

“Yes, I handled it! You guys have no faith in me!” Tony complained. He gestured around to the kitchen. “Work all day, and I get no appreciation.”

“It’s only eight,” Stephen pointed out.

“I work fast!” Tony scoffed, setting the spatula down. “Anyway, you can tell your friends to land there. I’ll get Stephen to portal me over, and we’ll settle things.”

“What am I, your Uber?” Stephen scoffed. Tony smiled sweetly at him.

“Oh, no. I don’t pay you.”

“Enough flirting. I’ll tell Valkyrie, and we’ll get it done.” Loki stood up and started to walk away. He looked back over his shoulder. “Don’t dilly dally.” Tony and Stephen both stuttered as Loki sauntered off.

“Ignore him,” Tony said, turning back to Stephen. “I’ve learned to.”

“Are you really okay here?” Stephen asked softly.

“Listen, I’m not scared of magic anymore. I’m definitely not scared of Loki,” Tony snorted. Stephen rolled his eyes fondly.

“Yes, you’re very tough. Are you comfortable?”

“Steph, I’m fine—”

“That’s not how you pronounce my name—”

“Are you going crazy with Wanda?” Tony teased. “Is this a cry for help?” Stephen rolled his eyes and stood up.

“Have you told the others you found a place for the Asgardians?”

“It was on my task list for today…” Stephen smiled.

“I’m going to make a run over there while Loki is informing his crew.”

“Don’t miss me too much!” Tony called out as Stephen disappeared through his portal, immediately chastising himself for saying. Being friends with Stephen was unlike any relationship he had ever had. It wasn’t like Pepper, who started off as a PA and was constantly reminding him how to live as a functional human being. It wasn’t like Rhodey, who had known him since puberty and could see through him like glass. It definitely wasn’t like Steve, who constantly made Tony question his own abilities and mindset.

He tried not to think about it too much when they arrived in Norway. Greeting Valkyrie with a smile when they sauntered up to them. The ship holding all the Asgardians was even bigger than Tony imagined, though he wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting for an entire population. Either way, the locals seemed more than interested.

“Are we sure this is going to be big enough?” Valkyrie asked, eyeing the village.

“Should be,” Tony said, pulling out his phone for the statistics he had documented when he first studied the place. “If not, I’m already donating enough to help it grow. Hopefully not too many roommates.”

Tony watched as Valkyrie led the Asgardians off the ships. Tony wondered how long they had been stuck on the vessel given by their haggard appearance. The residents of Tønsberg stood in the streets to greet and welcome them to their town. Walking beside Valkyrie was a man with a powerful yet tired appearance. He seemed important, so Tony couldn’t figure out why they hadn’t brought him down with Loki and Valkyrie.

“That’s Heimdall,” Loki muttered, noticing Tony’s fixed gaze. “Protector of the Realms.”

“Sounds important,” Tony responded awkwardly.

“He’s very loyal to Asgard,” Loki explained. “He was not willing to leave the people.”

“Fair enough,” Tony said with a shrug. “Should we meet?” Stephen looked like he was going to protest, but Tony was already walking towards the town to where the Asgardians were starting to disperse into different homes and buildings. Some of the locals recognized Tony as he walked through the streets. Heimdall seemed to sense him before Tony even reached him. To say he was surprised by Heimdall’s eyes would be an understatement, as if the Asgardian wasn’t intimidating enough.

“Tony Stark,” Heimdall greeted as Tony got closer. Tony blinked at him before holding out his hand, which Heimdall shook with not as much strength as Tony was expecting.

“You know me?”

“He knows everyone. Don’t flatter yourself,” Loki said, walking up beside Tony. Heimdall nodded towards Loki, to which Loki gave a nervous nod back. Tony sensed some awkward tension there, but he didn’t say anything about it.

“That is true,” Heimdall said. “But I know you especially. The people are grateful for your aid.” Heimdall’s voice shook him to his core.

“Yeah, it’s no problem,” Tony shrugged off, easily flustered. “Do you think you guys will be alright here?”

“As long as we’re together, we’ll stay strong,” Heimdall assured him. Those words reminded Tony of something. Tony walked around the village with Heimdall, relishing in the brief stories he told Tony about Asgard to reassure him that they’d be okay there. “We can only hope that Thor will return soon.”

“I doubt he’d be here to stay,” Tony muttered. “He’s busy now. I can only imagine he’ll make himself busier.”

“You’re probably right about that,” Stephen said, surprising Tony as he walked up beside him. “He’s back.”

“He’s back?” Tony exclaimed, knitting his eyebrows together. “No warning? No heads up? Just back?” Heimdall’s low chuckle surprised both of them.

“That sounds like him,” Heimdall said before clasping a hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Best wishes to you.”

“Thanks,” Tony breathing, turning back to Stephen. “Where’s he at?”

“Compound,” Stephen answered, looking more stressed with every second. Stephen didn’t say anything as he created a portal to their destination. Getting places in a split second was easily becoming Stephen’s most valuable contribution to their relationship. Tony would say something smart about it, but he was too focused on the spaceship he could see even before walking through.

“He didn’t leave on that, did he?” Tony muttered, walking closer to the compound.

“Definitely not.” Tony whistled anyway.

“Whosever’s it is, it’s a fine ride,” Tony said, trying to keep his voice steady. This had to be the ride of the Guardians, unless Thor was hijacking rides in space. Tony and Stephen walked side by side into the compound, gaining more anxiety when they saw no one in immediate sight. Stephen must have sensed Tony’s anxiety, because he put a hand on his back. It was probably the most intimate thing he’s ever done, and now Tony couldn’t bring himself to give two shits about what he was about to see when they found everyone.

His thoughts were completely muddled when they finally found the room that everyone was residing in. Thor was standing proudly, which wasn’t unusual. Vision, Wanda, Sam, and Barnes surrounded the room as well. The only thing out of place was their visitors taking up the table in the middle of the room.

“Who are the twins?” A man asked, the only person in the group who looked human. Tony couldn’t help but stare at every one of them as they did the same to him. What drew his immediate attention was, of course, the human. He looked like he was styled to fit right into the 80s, and he had a goofy smile on his face he tried to assert his leadership position over the group. Next to him was a woman (woman?) with green skin, undeniably beautiful. Though, her threatening glare could rival Natasha’s deadly blank stare. She sat comfortable next to the human, letting him be the leader when Tony could see that she could easily take on that authority if she wanted to.

The next person Tony couldn’t help but look at was a raccoon. By the unimpressed expression he was giving him, Tony guessed that he was a lot more cognitive than the ones they had on Earth. Tony got the same impression from the humanoid tree that was leaning by his side, playing a game.

Lastly was a couple in the corner that Tony didn’t know how to diagnose. The man looked like he should be in the fighting ring, but he also looked like he didn’t exactly know where he was at the moment. The woman next to him reminded him of one of those alien movies Peter was rambling onto him about. Her presence was barely noticed despite her appearance just from the way she seemed to shrink into the back of the room.

“This is Stark and uh…” Thor squinted at Stephen. “I’m not really sure who this one is. You weren’t here last time, were you?”

“I was,” Stephen confirmed. Thor huffed and scratched his head. “I take it these are the Guardians?”

“Of the galaxy,” the human stood up, holding his hand out to Tony. “Peter Quill.”

“Tony Stark,” Tony said, shaking his hand. “You look alarmingly human. What are you, time-lord?”

“And you call me a nerd,” Stephen muttered in an offended tone.

“It’s Peter’s fault,” Tony whispered back to him. Stephen snorted and rolled his eyes fondly.

“It’s complicated,” Quill chuckled awkwardly. He cleared his throat and put his hands on his hips. “Thor told us a lot about you.” Tony’s eyebrows raised.

“Did he?” Tony said, looking over at Thor.

“Yeah,” Quill said with excitement. “You’re the flying one, right?”

“Uh, yeah. One of them,” Tony answered, still in disbelief about the aliens sitting right in his face. Quill smiled and nodded before looking back at the rest of his crew.

“Sorry, this is the rest of my rude team,” Peter apologized before pointing to each one and introducing them. “Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Mantis.”

“Which one is the daughter of Thanos?” Tony joked, regretting it when the tension in the room rose. The green woman identified as Gamora stood up, walking steadily over to Tony. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.

“That would be me,” Gamora said smoothly.

“Uh…” Tony hesitated, looking over at Stephen. “Cool?” She continued to stare at him. “So, Thor didn’t tell us he was bringing everyone right away…”

“Sorry about that,” Thor said, an eager smile still on his face. “I didn’t want to lose them once I tracked them down.”

“Are they staying?” Barnes asked, eyeing the Rocket who was eyeing his metal arm.

“If that’s not too much to ask,” Quill said with a forced smile, ready to alleviate some of the pressure. “I haven’t been to Terra in years. Kind of wanted to see what it’s been up to.”

“We also want to discuss what exactly our game plan is.”

“They could stay here!” Thor suggested, gesturing around him. He looked more than proud of himself.

“Can’t. These rooms are booked already,” Tony said bitterly, heaving a sigh.

“What about New Asgard?” Stephen suggested. Tony snorted and looked over at him.

“New Asgard?” Tony repeated.

“I heard the name in the works,” Stephen said with a smirk.

“So you found a place!” Thor exclaimed. “That’s great! Where is it?”

“Norway,” Tony answered, not sure what to make of Thor’s befuddled expression. “And we can’t. Not only would it be too much to shove another group of aliens in, but they’re already full to capacity. It takes a while to build new homes. Plus, I don’t think it’d be wise for them to be so far away.” Gamora narrowed her eyes at him when he said that.

“You aren’t suggesting what I think you are,” Stephen said with a regretful tone, already tensing up.

“What? I already have one psychopath staying there,” Tony said, referring to Loki. “Unless he wants to stop complaining about my food and take a hike to Norway.”

“Do you have a peculiarity for housing dangerous people in your home?” Strange all but shouted. Tony opened his mouth to rebuttal but then he made eye-contact with Barnes, who was having trouble keeping his laughter in.

“Touché,” Tony said. “Maybe I do. I’m good at it!”

“Do you even have room for them?”

“My floor has extra space and so does Loki’s.”

“I don’t think he’ll like that.”

“He doesn’t pay rent,” Tony finished with a shrug. He turned back to the rest of the group who had been watching them with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. “They can stay at the tower.”

“I don’t understand,” Thor said. “Who’s staying here?”

“The Rogues,” Barnes answered. Thor frowned at him.

“Were you here last time?”

“There’s a lot of people you don’t know, Thor,” Tony explained. “He means Steve, Natasha, and Clint.”

“And Lang,” Barnes added unhelpfully.

“He doesn’t know who that is. No one knows who that is,” Tony replied.

“You’re more willing to let these strangers stay in your home than your own friends?” Thor asked, sounding a little judgmental. Tony felt sick to his stomach at the tone and what Thor was suggesting of him.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Sam said, leaning up in his chair. “They’re not staying with him, so don’t bring it up again.” Thor was taken back by Sam’s immediate defense.

“I see,” Thor chuckled. “Does this have to do with the little petty fight you were talking about before? What did you call them…fugitives?” Thor barked out a laugh. “Like it matters in this situation.”

“It’s more than that, Thor,” Sam argued. “It’s not just about the law. It’s about betrayal.”

“Do you know how many times my brother has betrayed me?” Thor questioned sardonically. “More times than either us of could count. Yet there he was by my side when we came here.”

“Loki changed,” Vision offered his opinion. “We have no proof as to Rogers’ regret or transformation.”

“This is about more than apologies,” Thor growled. “This is about our lives—”

“They’re coming, and they’re living here!” Tony shouted. “What do you want me to do, lay out so they can flay me again?” Tony barely noticed the hand Stephen put on his back. “I’m stressing out enough with this—” Tony motioned to the Guardians, who were watching the exchange silently, “—without you telling me how I need to feel or what I need to do with my own home.”

Thor didn’t say anything, but Tony could see that he still didn’t agree what was being said. However, given by the looks Sam, Stephen, and Wanda were giving him, Thor guessed that it wasn’t going to do any good to continue arguing in this moment.

“Geez, and I thought we had issues,” Rocket mumbled once everything had quieted down. Tony cleared his throat.

“We can handle business tomorrow if need be. Why don’t we let everyone rest? I’m sure space was a long trip,” Tony suggested quietly.

“You’re just going to settle in with some aliens, just like that?” Sam said apprehensively.

“I’ve learned to just accept the crazy things that happen in my life,” Tony sighed. He lolled his head over to look at Stephen. “Think you can give us a ride to the tower and Thor a ride to Norway?”

“You just abuse my abilities,” Stephen sighed, already making a portal. The members of the Guardians all flinched back as the orange magic started to glow before Tony’s living room was visible.

“This way, troops,” Tony said lazily to the Guardians, waving for them to come along. Quill was the first to walk through, looking back to convince the others to follow. Quill’s eyes went round as he gaped around the floor.

“Holy shit,” Quill breathed. “Earth really has changed.”

“This ain’t half bad,” Rocket complimented, nodding as he studied the place.

“Well, this is high-end,” Tony admitted, strolling towards the kitchen for a drink a cup a coffee. No one was here to chastise him for it. “I hope you guys like bunking, because I only have three extra rooms, unless someone wants to take the couch.”

“In this entire tower?” Gamora interrogated, looking out the window to see how far up they were.

“Well, none of the other floors have furniture, so…” Tony shrugged and tapped the coffee machine like it would make it go faster.

“I, uh…I can take a couch,” Quill offered, briefly glancing over at Gamora. Tony blinked at him. He wasn’t very subtle at all.

“Uh, cool. It’s that one over there,” Tony said, pointing to the living room. Quill went to investigate, smiling when he sat down.

“Not bad!”

“Groot and I will bunk,” Rocket said. Groot didn’t say anything, too invested in his game. It reminded Tony of another teenager he knew.

“I’ll bunk with Mantis,” Gamora said. Mantis looked both confused and excited to be mentioned. “You don’t want to bunk with Drax, trust me,” Gamora whispered to her. Tony continued to stare at them until they were all looking back at him.

“Oh, well that settles it,” Tony said. “I’ve got nothing planned for today since I handled providing shelter for an entire population and greeted aliens at my doorstep. I guess you could say I was taking it easy.” They all continued to look at him. “That was a joke. Nothing? Fine. Come on, I’ll show you to your rooms.” Tony decided to keep Gamora and Mantis on his floor since Quill was sleeping on his couch. He showed Drax, Rocket, and Groot down to the same floor Loki was staying on, showing them to their respective rooms. He told FRIDAY to inform everyone that he’d be in his workshop before firing up a call with Rhodey.

“Everything okay?” Rhodey asked when he answered the video call.

“Uh, yes? Why is that the way you greet me?” Tony said, affronted.

“Because you haven’t called me in forever. I figured it had to be an emergency,” Rhodey said dramatically.

“You’re the clingiest fling I’ve ever had,” Tony joked, leaning back in his chair. “But no, seriously, don’t be mad.”

“What did you do?”

“Thor came back with the Guardians of the Galaxy,” Tony informed him slowly. Rhodey nodded understandingly, having gotten the news about Thor’s recruitment a long time ago. “And…they’re staying at the tower.” Rhodey didn’t say anything initially. He just threw his head back like he was contemplating life.

“Tony…”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have a think for housing potentially dangerous individuals in your home?”

“Wow, you and Stephen are on the same levels right now,” Tony joked.

“Thank god he’s around to make sure you haven’t died yet,” Rhodey muttered to himself. “Actually…That’s a good idea.”

“What is?”

“Make Stephen stay there.” Tony laughed for a while before he noticed that Rhodey wasn’t laughing. “You’re serious? Dude, I’ve had Loki living here for a while now. Why would Stephen stay here for my safety _now_?”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t moved in already,” Rhodey mused.

“You guys have _got_ to stop doing that,” Tony sighed.

“Who’s they? And doing what?”

“You and everyone else who keeps implying things about me and him!” Tony asserted. “It’s making him uncomfortable!”

“Just him?”

“It’s not about me,” Tony mumbled. “Just stop.”

“He’s not even here!” Rhodey laughed, pretending to look around through the screen to prove his point. “But he should be!”

“Rhodey, I’ll be fine,” Tony insisted.

“First Barnes, then Loki, and now these people,” Rhodey listed off. “It’s like you have a death wish. Are you doing okay?”

“What? No! Why do you and Pepper jump to that?” Rhodey gave him a look that said, ‘ _you know exactly why we jump to that_.’ “We have to keep them somewhere, and the compound already has reservations.”

“About that,” Rhodey said before Tony could pull off into another subject. “Are the current residents okay with that?”

“I told them I would pay for wherever they wanted to stay if they weren’t comfortable, but they all insisted they stay,” Tony said with a shrug. “Maybe they miss them.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” Rhodey said to himself. “I guess we’ll deal with that when it comes around. I’m going to talk to Stephen—”

“Rhodey, no!” Tony groaned, letting his head fall back. “You’re so embarrassing!”

“What am I, your mom?” Rhodey laughed. “And I’m going to come as soon as I can.”

“I don’t need a fucking army. I’m Iron Man!”

“Yes, we know. You’re very strong,” Rhodey said, purposefully patronizingly. Tony glared at him.

“You know what? I’m going to become best friends with these guys and prove to everyone that I can handle myself. That will be three for three! Three ‘bad guys,’ all of them finding peace in Tony Stark’s humble abode.”

“There is nothing humble about it,” Rhodey muttered. “Have you told Pepper yet?”

“Bye, Rhodey!” Rhodey gave him a deadpan look and flipped him off as Tony ended the call. Tony tinkered around in his workshop for a couple hours, not really doing anything important besides looking over schematics for Barnes’ new arm that he kept insisting that he didn’t need. He wondered if Loki had come back yet and how he had gotten back if he did. He assumed Stephen would return for him, but he wasn’t exactly sure that he remembered.

Surprisingly, all of them had gathered on Tony’s floor. He wasn’t entirely sure what their sleeping schedules were like, but he was willing to bet they wouldn’t be the same as Tony’s, not that it was late enough. They had quieted down a bit when Tony came in. Tony scratched the back of his head awkwardly, not used to entertaining multiple guests anymore. Those days were way past him.

“Sorry for disappearing,” Tony muttered. “You guys hungry?”

“Yes!” Quill groaned, rubbing his stomach. “I was just about to raid your fridge. Tony smiled slightly.

“Well, feel free to,” Tony chuckled, before pulling out his phone. “Are there any dietary restrictions?” Tony wasn’t exactly sure that the meal plan for space travelers were, but Thor and Loki seemed pretty content to eat whatever was provided.

“We don’t know what that means. Anything is fine,” Quill answered. “Hey, how does this thing work?” Tony looked up from ordering pizza to see him tapping the TV.

“The TV?” Quill’s jaw dropped, and he gaped at the screen.

“This is a TV?”

“I told you it was. He’s just an idiot,” Rocket muttered, messing with something on the floor. If Tony had to guess, he’d say Rocket had taken apart a toaster.

“You said it was a monitor!”

“Same thing!”

“TV didn’t look like this when I was a kid,” Quill breathed, running his hands over it.

“Yeah, uh, FRIDAY, turn something on,” Tony requested, going back to ordering pizza. He heard Quill’s excited gasp as the screen turned on, showing a cartoon of all things. Tony ordered more pizzas than he thought was even necessary because, if they were anything like Thor, they ate a lot. Tony was particularly worried about the big guy. “I ordered some food. It should be here in a few. Help yourself to whatever.”

“We have,” Rocket muttered, holding up a box of crackers.

“Rocket!” Quill scolded.

“What? He said to help ourselves!” Rocket defended.

“Not to get all up in your business or anything,” Quill said when he was done worshipping the TV. “But what was all that drama from earlier?” Tony squinted at him until he realized he was talking about the argument with Thor about the Rogues.

“Right. What did Thor tell you about our team?” Tony said, letting him sag into an armchair.

“He told us about you and, uh…” Quill looked sheepish yet excited, “Captain America?” Tony sighed.

“Yeah, he’s one of them.”

“So he isn’t crazy?” Quill exclaimed, nudging Gamora. “Told you so.”

“Why do I care?” Gamora said barely looking away from the TV screen.

“Because, Gamora, it’s Captain America! He’s supposed to be dead!” Quill squealed, making Tony cringe. “Wait, where is he?”

“He is, or was, a fugitive. He was in hiding but he’s coming back in a few days,” Tony answered tiredly.

“A fugitive?” Rocket chuckled. “That’s kind of our entire thing. What did he do?” Tony wasn’t really expecting them to side with him just because he provided them accommodations for their stay. They needed the Guardians for help, and Tony was used to giving things for the greater good.

“He was,” Tony hesitated, “responsible for aiding another fugitive and kidnapping.”

“Wow,” Quill blinked at him. “That’s not what I was expecting. Who was it? Was it someone important?”

“It’s pretty complicated,” Tony muttered. They must have sensed that he didn’t really want to talk about it. “They’ll be back soon. You’ll have a chance to ask for his autograph,” Tony said with a forced smile.

“I see we have guests,” Loki said, startling everyone in the room. Gamora stood, pulling a sword out of nowhere. Everyone shouted out in protest. “Greetings, daughter of Thanos.”

“Loki,” Gamora muttered.


	19. Chapter 19

“You’ve both been redeemed. I think we can drop the threatening act,” Tony said, stepping in between their glare-off. That caused both of them to glare at him, which was arguably worse.

“Did you rent out my floor to these lowlifes?” Loki scoffed, looking over the group.

“Hey!” Quill protested. Tony glared at him.

“Come on, Loki. You don’t even pay rent,” Tony bantered. “If it’s that annoying, you could see if you can room with someone at New Asgard.”

“Why don’t you make them room with someone. I do believe I became habitual here first,” Loki snarked.

“Playing the ‘I was here first’ game?” Tony teased. “I’m offering up my home for all, so take it or leave it.” Loki continued to glare at him for a few moments before disappearing, most likely to his room.

“That was awkward. Gamora, you know him?” Quill asked in a joking tone, but Tony could sense a bit of apprehension.

“He worked for my father,” Gamora answered, putting her sword away. Quill’s jaw dropped, and he stared after where Loki disappeared to. “Which makes me wonder why he’s here in the first place.”

“Why are you here?” Tony questioned, sitting back down and making himself comfortable. Gamora raised an eyebrow at him. “You were his most trusted, weren’t you?”

“What are you getting at, Stark?” Gamora said lowly, a warning in her tone.

“I mean, you both served him, and now you’re both here. I sense a similar story,” Tony suggested. Gamora rolled her eyes. “He’s also adopted, if that helps.”

“It doesn’t,” Gamora deadpanned.

“It’ll be fine,” Tony said, barely convincing himself. “He’ll get over it. You’ll get over it. We’ll all be friends and defeat Thanos together.”

“If it’s that easy for you to make amends, why haven’t you done it with your past partner?” Gamora mentioned. She could tell she struck a chord with his expression.

“Hey,” Quill chuckled nervously. “Not a good subject.”

“Quill, shut up, you’re not good at mediating,” Rocket jabbed.

“Fair enough,” Tony muttered. “My past partner knew my parents’ death was a murder not an accident.” Gamora was really good at keeping a poker face. Everyone besides Drax had slightly flinched, and Tony was pretty sure that was just because he wasn’t paying attention. “Not only that, he knew who the murderer was and still didn’t tell me.” Tony was saddened after he reminded himself of the whole incident. For months he had let anger and betrayal broil inside of him. He had hidden the hurt inside for so long while he planned and accommodated for things that popped up. He rarely thought back to that dark moment where he replayed his parents’ death over and over, trying to convince himself that it wasn’t a prank.

“Wow, that’s almost as rough at Quill’s thing,” Rocket mumbled during the awkward silence.

“Dude!” Quill protested, throwing his hands up at the same time.

“What Quill’s thing?” Tony asked, his eyebrows knitting together. Quill forced a chuckle and cross his arms.

“Oh, my dad killed my mom,” Quill said with a shrug, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the group. Tony looked around to see if he was joking, but the rest of his team looked like they were reminiscing.

“Wow. You win?” Tony said, not really sure how to respond to that. “Was it, like, here on Earth?”

“Yes,” Quill said immediately, then he paused. “Wait. No. Kind of. My dad isn’t really a dad, I mean, human. He’s this thing called a celestial. It gets kind of awkward when you go into the details. The point is, he put a tumor in my mom’s brain.” Tony couldn’t do anything except gape at him. “Yeah, I regret saying all this out loud.”

“I’m sorry for your loss…” Tony said quietly. Quill waved him off, still attempting to ameliorate the sad situation.

“It’s fine. It was years ago, but I can see what you mean about your old partner,” Quill winced, breathing through his teeth. “I shot my dad on sight.” Tony’s jaw dropped.

“You killed your own father?”

“Well, I tried to. Turns out, celestials are pretty hard to kill,” Quill explained casually. “It involved a lot of explosions to get him to stay dead.”

“Do you want us to kill your ex-teammate for you?” Rocket offered, holding up the toaster which now looked concernedly similar to a bomb. Tony slowly shook his head.

“No, I’m good.”

“What about your parents’ killer. Is that dude still alive?”

“You met him,” Tony admitted. “He was the guy with the metal arm.” They all blinked at him, waiting for him to laugh and say he was joking. When he didn’t, Drax nodded.

“That’s dark. He’s brainwashed you to finish the job,” Drax commented thoughtfully. Tony’s eyebrows knitted together.

“What? No. He was actually brainwashed—” Tony started to explain, but Drax interrupted.

“At least come up with an original lie,” Drax scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“I don’t understand,” Mantis spoke up. “That man was brainwashing you—”

“No, no, no,” Tony stopped her. “He was brainwashed and was forced into doing it. It’s convoluted and hard to explain, but he’s not the one I’m upset with.”

“I understand,” Gamora said silently. She looked very contemplative, studying the floor instead of looking at any of them. “Do you have a habit for taking in misfits?”

“I wasn’t planning on creating a breakfast club, but I guess it’s become a bit of a habit,” Tony mumbled, pulling out his phone when he felt himself get a text. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw it was a Twitter notification from Peter’s account. He hadn’t seen the kid in a few days, and he couldn’t help but think he’d be excited to know what was going on right now.

“Oh, hey, I get that reference!” Quill responded excitedly, pointing at Tony as he announced that piece of information. “Okay, but seriously, I get the whole parent secret thing. Why are you letting them stay at your other place?”

“Keep your enemies close,” was all Tony could say.

* * *

Tony didn’t have the heart to cancel another one of the kid’s internship days. For one, he had already been putting it off since he was dealing with the stress of having Loki over while simultaneously trying to find a place for Asgard. Though, it probably wasn’t fair to throw the kid to the wolves after the stuff he had did with the field trip. He laughed about it to this day.

“I can’t believe you did that!” Was the first thing Peter said when he entered the lab.

“Did what?” Tony asked, looking up from a blueprint.

“You exposed me!” Peter complained, dropping his backpack and plopping into a nearby stool. “Now my entire decathlon won’t stop bothering me. Now I have to expose you.” Tony smiled at him before turning back to his blueprints.

“Sure, kid. You do that.”

“I’m doing it right now.” Tony turned to see Peter filming him with his phone. Tony gave a lazy wave before turning back. “In his free time, Mr. Stark likes to wear sweatpants that have holes.” Tony pretended to self-consciously cover a hole.

“They’re comfortable!” He defended himself.

“You’re a billionaire!” Peter yelled out.

“Doesn’t speaking ruin the anonymity of the entire thing?” Tony accused, raising an eyebrow. Peter blushed but shrugged.

“If they know, they know. If they don’t, well, there’s a billion different guesses out there already, Mr. Stark.” Tony swiveled around in his chair to look at him, smiling brightly at the camera.

“Is this live?” Peter snorted.

“Of course it’s live. Who do you think I am?”

“Then allow me to expose you,” Tony grinned maniacally. “My intern like to come into my home just to steal my yogurt.”

“You buy the expensive kind,” Peter defended himself. “What are you working on?” Tony covered the blueprints he had out before Peter could get closer.

“Private. P—intern, you have one job,” Tony snarked.

“My name’s ‘intern’ now?”

“Not for long,” Tony mumbled. “Don’t you have homework?”

“I did it on the ride here,” Peter said with a smirk. Tony gave an unimpressed look to the camera before rolling his eyes.

“I was going to show you something _really_ cool and _really_ secretive, but it’s for our eyes only. You’re so busy with exposing me and all—”

“Is it drugs?” Peter joked. Tony glared at him. “Kidding. I don’t do drugs.”

“I’ll snitch on you in a heartbeat,” Tony mumbled, pushing himself out of the chair and nodding towards the door. “You coming?” Peter got up excitedly, ready to rush past Tony until Tony put a hand on his chest to stop him. “Ah, ah, ah. Not with them.”

“Give the people what they want Mr. Stark.”

“Really? Why don’t you show them _your_ face then?” Peter’s eyes narrowed as he lowered his phone.

“Touché.” Peter said, pocketing his phone and following Tony to the elevator. “What do you have to show me?”

“I want to make something clear,” Tony said. “I’m only showing you because I figure you’d find out on your own eventually.” Peter blinked at him.

“What did you do?” Peter asked quietly. Tony frowned and tilted his head.

“I don’t know where your mind went, but you’re probably wrong. So just erase whatever you thought.” The elevator door opened into Tony’s penthouse, and Tony wasn’t surprised to see the Guardians lounging together in front of the TV with some 80’s movie Quill was probably showing them on. What did surprise Tony was Loki lounging with Gamora in the kitchen, clearly having been in a deep discussion.

“Oh, my god,” Peter breathed, putting his hands up to his cheeks as his jaw dropped. “You got cosplayers?” Tony paused in his step, turning to look at Peter’s face of adoration.

“I—what?” Tony stammered. “Who? Never mind.”

“I don’t know what they’re from, but they look so cool!” Peter practically squealed. Tony put a hand on his shoulder before Peter could go up and fangirl over them.

“Kid, they’re not cosplayers.” Peter glanced back and forth between the group and Tony.

“Body painters?”

“What? No. They’re not from Earth.” Peter stared at Tony for a few seconds before barking out a laugh, gaining the attention of Loki and Gamora but not yet the rest of the Guardians. “Mr. Stark, come on.”

“Why is that so hard to believe. Look at them.”

“She’s just green!” Peter whispered, gesturing to Gamora. “That’s just lazy.”

“That’s just what she looks like,” Tony said, tightlipped. “Thor isn’t from Earth. Why can’t you believe the same about his friends here?”

“Is Thor here?” Peter gasped, looking around excitedly.

“No,” Tony deadpanned. “Not here, here, but somewhere on Earth.”

“Thor’s on Earth and you didn’t tell me!” Peter complained. “Why are you punishing me.”

“Punishing you?” Tony scoffed. “I’m showing you the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“Is that what they call themselves?” Peter gushed. “That’s so much cooler than the Avengers.”

“Is this offspring yours, Stark?” Loki asked with an unimpressed glance towards Peter. Peter seemed to only just then realize who was speaking.

“You brought Loki, but you didn’t bring Thor,” Peter whispered bitterly to him. Tony rolled his eyes and walked closer to introduce him. Gamora looked Peter up and down as he walked closer, as if she was assessing whether he was a threat or not. That assessment was quick. It probably didn’t help that Peter had developed a bright red blush on his face.

“This is Peter. He’s my intern.”

“What’s an intern?” Gamora asked, her eyes narrowing at Peter. Peter gave a toothy smile in return.

“He basically does what I say and gets credit for school,” Tony explained with a shrug.

“And you had no qualms with bringing him near us?” Loki asked.

“Well, I had to appease him somehow since I didn’t bring him to see Thor,” Tony teased. Peter, if possible, blushed deeper, while Loki gave him an annoyed eye roll. “Peter can handle himself. He’s a big boy.”

“I’m Gamora,” Gamora introduced herself, holding out a hand. Peter almost forgot to shake it, taking it quickly so it didn’t look like he was blowing her off.

“Loki,” Loki introduced himself. Unlike Gamora, he did not offer his hand. Tony smiled and placed his hands on his hips.

“By the way you two are sitting together, I’m guessing an understanding has been established?”

“We both have the same goals,” Gamora agreed, nodding slightly.

“I’m guessing that’s the same as everyone else’s. Glad we’re on the same page.” Tony turned towards Peter to say something, but the kid was already across the room with the other Guardians, staring at the TV. Tony walked over to see that Quill had requested for FRIDAY to show them _The Karate Kid_.

“I would totally win a karate competition if I entered, Mr. Stark,” Peter whispered, not taking his eyes off the screen. “You could be my Mr. Miyagi.”

“I appreciate the gesture,” Tony mumbled. “Hey, Peter, meet Peter.” Quill turned around when he heard his name, locking eyes with Tony before doing the same with Peter.

“What?” Quill asked.

“His name is Peter. I was being funny,” Tony explained, putting a hand on Peter’s head.

“His name is Peter too?” Peter asked, pointing at Quill. “Cool name club!” A large grin spread across Quill’s face as he stood up.

“Oh man, is this your kid? You chose a cool name,” Quill informed Tony.

“Uh, no,” Tony tried to explain, but he wasn’t listening. Quill and Peter were already discussing whether they knew any other Peter’s in their lives to add to their newfound club.

“No, man. I’m practically from space. I’m lucky if they even use the same alphabet as me,” Quill said mournfully. “I think I knew a guy when I was in school though.”

“There’s some Peters at my school, but I don’t talk to any of them,” Peter said sadly.

“You could ask Twitter,” Tony suggested. Peter brightened up for two seconds before deflating and turning to glare at Tony.

“Hey, you’re trying to get me to expose myself!”

“What’s Twitter?” Quill asked.

“Not important,” Tony and Peter dismissed at the same time. “Ned’s going to freak out. Can I get a picture?”

“One, why do you have to tell Ned everything? I show you secretive things in good trust. Two, why do you choose to take a picture with the only one who looks like a human?” Peter opened his mouth to respond before closing it and contemplating what Tony said.

“That’s a good point. Mr. Stark, can you take a picture with all of us?” Peter asked.

“Maybe later. I better not see this on your Twitter! This is top secret. Quill, you are way too easily impressed.”

“I’m moderately impressed,” Quill defended himself. He motioned to the TV. “I could be totally freaking out about seeing a movie from my childhood that I haven’t seen in thirty years, but I’m here talking to you like a civilized adult.”

“You could have watched any 21st century movie,” Tony pointed out. “They remade _The Karate Kid_.”

“What? Why would they do that? It’s already at least second to _Footloose_ ,” Quill scoffed. Peter threw Tony a concerned look, to which Tony responded with a bark of laughter.

“Don’t look at me. You’re the movie expert around here.”

“Yeah, but this is just sad Mr. Stark. When did you leave, Mr. Peter?”

“1988,” Quill answered with a frown. “Why?”

“Because _The Empire Strikes Back_ came out in 1980. That’s eight full years of enjoyment,” Peter explained.

“Oh, that movie,” Quill waved off. “I was never into it, and, now that I’ve been to space, I’m even less into it! Maybe I should show the others so we can laugh at how inaccurate it is…” Peter had an affronted expression on his face.

“This is getting too nerdy for me,” Tony said. “How about we head back to the lab so you can actually earn your credit?”

“What? But, Mr. Stark, aliens!” Peter complained. Tony rolled his eyes fondly.

“I still need to look over some things. Can you behave yourself while I’m gone?”

“You’re worse than Aunt May.” Tony winked at him before heading back to the elevator so he could descend into the lab. Seeing Peter and the Guardians together struck a chord in Tony that he wished he could forget about. The Guardians came here with the intention of teaming up to stop an impending threat, one that might involve Peter whether Tony liked it or not. It made him sick to his stomach, and he just hoped that it would hold off long enough so he could at least see Peter graduate high school. Tony made it all the way back to his seat, collapsing into it while in thought before he almost fell out of it realizing Stephen was in the lab. “Jesus, warn a man.”

“I can’t help that your perception is below par,” Stephen said with a deep chuckle. “I’m glad to see you’re still standing.”

“Not if you keep scaring me into heart attacks,” Tony breathed dramatically, putting a hand to his chest. “Was there something you wanted?” Stephen shrugged, casually walking around the lab.

“Just wanted to check in.”

“Ah, well, mom, I’m doing great.”

“Are you?” Stephen asked in a softer tone. Tony looked up at him in surprise, not expecting the concerned expression Stephen is giving him.

“Yes,” Tony assured him.

“You’ve been put in a stressful position lately.”

“And I’m handling it,” Tony asserted, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t need you and everyone else constantly thinking I’m having a breakdown. I’m magnificent.” Tony puffed out his chest to prove a nonexistent point.

“We’re your friends. We’re allowed to be concerned about you,” Stephen pointed out. “Especially when you have certain tendencies to put others before yourself.”

“That’s a good thing, right?” Tony snorted.

“Not if it causes you to self-destruct.” Tony stared at him, not sure what to make of that comment. It seemed like Stephen had something else on his mind, so Tony could humor him.

“Is this about the Rogues?” Tony asked quietly.

“No, it wasn’t, but now I can tell that you’ve been thinking about them.”

“I haven’t been thinking about them,” Tony denied. “I just can’t think of any other reason you would be so concerned—”

“Why is that so hard to believe?” Stephen asked. Tony noticed how close Stephen had gotten.

“Are you okay?” Tony finally asked. Stephen’s eyebrows furrowed at the unexpected question. He looked like he was ready to retaliate before Tony spoke up first. “You don’t have to make an excuse to be around. I get it. I used to do the same thing to Rhodey.”

“What do you mean?”

“I used to make up reasons why he needed me around only because I wanted someone to hang out with. That was mostly in college since he became busy with the Air Force and all. Then I started doing the same with Pepper, but she is way better at catching on—”

“What are you implying?” Stephen asked monotonously.

“Nothing, really. I don’t know what it is you do at the Sanctum, exactly, but I can imagine that you get lonely if it’s as lifeless as I imagine it to be.” Stephen continued to hold eye contact. “I get that we might not be the best of friends, but you can still—”

“It’s not that,” Stephen interrupted, almost desperately. “I was concerned for you, especially since you so easily agreed to having potentially dangerous people around you. I thought it was a cry for help. I didn’t notice how stressed out I was feeling.” Tony smiled.

“Well, misery loves company.” Tony offered Stephen a seat, asking FRIDAY to put on so music as he did so. Stephen sat down, not used to making himself comfortable in the actual tower. “We’re now in a ‘no Avengers talk’ environment.”

“No Avengers talk?” Stephen repeated, the corner of his lips twitching up.

“Nothing that could lead to stress,” Tony clarified, swiping away any open projects. “Unless you want to get something off your chest.” Stephen gazed at him for a few moments before shaking his head. “Why did you want to be a doctor?”

“What?” Stephen breathed.

“Why did you want to be a doctor?” Stephen was silent for a moment.

“My sister died.” Not what Tony was expecting. “I couldn’t save her, so I wanted to save other lives.” Despite the grim subject, Stephen didn’t look nearly as stressed as he did when he first appeared. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Why do you do the things you do?” Tony heaved a sigh.

“That’s a loaded question. I was raised that way. I’m also pretty good at it.”

“Do you ever wish that you had done something else with your life?” Stephen asked softly. Tony chuckled.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had the time to think that deeply,” Tony admitted. “Maybe when I’m retired.”

“You think you’ll retire?” Stephen asked. Tony shrugged.

“I have a lot of plans that I had to put on the backburner.” Tony was startled when Stephen stood up so suddenly. “Sorry, was this not the conversation you were looking for. I meant for stress-free—”

“It’s not that,” Stephen interrupted. “I just don’t think it’s fair for you.” Tony stood up slowly.

“What? Fair? What are you talking about?”

“Everything. You take everything into your own hands because you can’t trust anybody else to do it. One man shouldn’t have to, but you do it anyway.” Tony chuckled nervously, not really seeing where Strange was going with it.

“Stephen, it’s not always going to be like this.” Tony was ready to give Stephen the stress relief talk of his life when the man kissed him.

Tony hadn’t really thought about romance ever since he broke up with Pepper. Hell, Tony hadn’t really thought about romance while he was _with_ Pepper. He constantly had so much on his plate, that was what partially led to their relationship’s demise. Tony hadn’t been heartbroken. He hadn’t been on the search for his next lover or sleeping around like many would probably assume he would. That was partially why his brain couldn’t function when Stephen kissed him.

He felt like a teenager all over again, realizing he had a crush for the first time. All those comments that people constantly made about him and Stephen were flooding back to him, making him realize that he didn’t exactly mind the thought of Stephen by his side all the time.

Simply, he didn’t expect to be this old and still feel the need to talk to Rhodey about his latest crush.

“I’m sorry,” Stephen immediately apologized. Tony stared at him, waiting for Stephen to get his thoughts together. “I realize that our relationship is professional. I just wanted to—”

“I think we passed the point of professional when you started giving me rides via portal, Steph,” Tony teased with a chuckle, making Stephen’s lips quirk up. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“You only let me into your life when I agreed to help you,” Stephen started explaining softly. “Therefore, you felt it necessary to be civil with me when I didn’t deserve it.”

“Didn’t deserve it?” Tony frowned.

“After the way I initially treated you—”

“Steph, I thought we were over this,” Tony chuckled nervously. “That was forever ago. I’m over it. You should be over it.”

“You should never have to deal with someone treating you that way,” Stephen asserted. “I’m sorry.”

“We’ve already had this conversation.”

“I wanted to reiterate,” Stephen said with a slight smirk. “Especially with…the others coming back. I don’t want you to forget that you deserve better.” Tony didn’t know how to respond to that. Stephen was clearly hiding a lot of his concerns behind his apology.

“You don’t have to apologize just because you want to kiss me,” Tony whispered. “I’m a grown man. You won’t hurt my feelings if you decide—”

“I don’t want to go anywhere,” Stephen interrupted. “I’m not apologizing and explaining myself because I want a fling, Stark.” Tony nodded, finally understanding what he was explaining. Finally, a few minutes after the initial kiss, Tony leaned forward to kiss Stephen back.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I taste salt

Steve had gotten tired of being on the run very quickly. It was a bit thrilling at first, despite the less-than-ideal conditions he had to leave in. He was relieved to know that Clint still had his back, but that didn’t change the fact that he had to leave Bucky behind. Steve had practically mourned his best friend again before seeing him on TV going on trial.

Before, Steve was pretty sure Tony just needed some more guidance. The man was trying, even if his best wasn’t good enough. Now, Steve had almost nothing but contempt. Tony had the nerve to keep his best friend from him for all that time, knowing he was brainwashed. Now that they were returning, Steve had to rework the dynamics of their team and whatever Tony did to it. He had been nonstop worrying about Wanda ever since he left.

What was possibly the worst part was not how Tony betrayed Steve but how he betrayed Clint and Natasha as well. Throwing Natasha in the raft was a low blow that even Steve didn’t think he could hit. Nevertheless, Steve had to save her from the inhumane conditions they had her locked-up in. Steve didn’t know Scott too well, but he had come to Steve’s aid.

The four of them had stayed together throughout the aftermath. Clint was mostly brooding, upset that he wasn’t allowed to be in his own country because of Tony. Natasha was fairly stoic, pretending like the Raft didn’t affect her. Steve could tell she was beginning to feel a bit of resentment towards Tony as well. Scott was generally pretty quiet most of the time. Steve just hoped he didn’t regret doing the right thing.

Having them back only proved to Steve that he had done the right thing, and now everyone was coming to their senses. They needed him and the Avengers. He was ready to remind them of that.

“I think you’re being too optimistic,” Natasha told him on the flight.

“Why wouldn’t I be? We’re going straight back to the compound and straight back to doing our jobs,” Steve reasoned. Natasha sat down next to him and crossed her arms.

“He’s not going to be the same. You know that,” Natasha said quietly.

“I’m not the same. None of us are the same.” Steve turned towards her. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let him mistreat you again.” Natasha gave him an unimpressed look. “What?”

“Tony wasn’t the one that mistreated me. That was Ross,” Natasha explained. Steve rolled his eyes.

“Either way,” Steve shrugged. “Things are going to get better. I swear.” Natasha didn’t respond. Steve didn’t think she believed him, but Steve had plans. It had all started with his video. What happened before could never happen again. First Ultron, then Bucky. Tony had kept enough secrets from him.

Steve had asked Clint why he wasn’t returning to his family, since he told Steve that Tony better have a room ready for him. It seemed like a sensitive subject, so Steve didn’t touch on it anymore. Steve couldn’t even get through to Scott, since the man was so reclusive. Steve could only assume that he’d be staying at the compound too.

Landing at the compound, Steve didn’t know what to expect. The agent who flew motioned for them to follow as he led them out of the jet. There wasn’t anybody to greet him, not Sam, not Wanda, not anybody. Natasha threw Steve a worried look, and Steve tried his best to convey that there wasn’t nothing to worry about. The agent scanned them in before leading them to the familiar living space that they shared just months ago. He stood away from them, so Steve guessed they were waiting on somebody. The all sat quietly until Steve noticed Sam walk in, immediately standing up to greet him.

“Sam!” Steve said, moving forward to hug him. He didn’t notice Sam’s troubled expression before throwing his arm around him. “It’s good to see you.”

“And you, Cap,” Sam responded, lightly patting his back. Sam nodded towards the agent, who nodded back before existing the room.

“Where is everybody?” Steve asked, looking around to see if he could spot anybody walking by.

“Well, Wanda is at her training session, and Vision is at a class…” Sam started listing.

“What about Bucky?” Steve whispered, searching for a positive glint in Sam’s eyes. Instead, he just looked sheepish.

“He’s not around right now,” Sam answered. Steve blinked at him.

“What does that mean?”

“He’s…not around right now,” Sam repeated, shrugging to seem more casual. Steve stared at him a bit longer before his eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

“Does Tony have him? Is he in the Raft?” Steve asked lowly, already meticulously planning on how he was going to get his friend free again. He barely noticed Sam shaking his head.

“No, he’s not imprisoned anywhere. He’s just not here.”

“Then where is he?” Steve demanded to know. Sam bit his lip before sighing.

“Listen, let’s not worry about him, right now. We have to worry about you,” Sam reasoned, guiding Steve back to where the others were sitting. “I’ll show everyone their rooms. I would recommend you rest and look presentable for when the Accords council shows up later.”

“The Accords council?” Steve frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“They’re coming to talk about the agreement you guys agreed to,” Sam reminded him. Clint had turned when he heard about the Accords and was now frowning.

“What’s he talking about, Steve?” Clint asked. Sam blinked at both of them before sighing.

“The agreement was your pardons would only come when the four of you agreed to sign the Accords,” Sam explained slowly. Clint cursed under his breath.

“But I’ve already signed the Accords,” Natasha pointed out.

“They want your signature on the updated version,” Sam informed her. Natasha frowned, clearly not expecting any changes to have been made in her absence.

“The reason we left in the first place was because of the damn Accords!” Clint growled out.

“Yes, and the only reason you’re back is because of the Accords,” Sam retaliated.

“Where’s Tony?” Steve asked. Sam shrugged.

“I’m not sure. He’s busy doing something.”

“You don’t know?” Steve repeated.

“Why would I know what he’s doing every second of the day?” Sam asked with a snort.

“Isn’t he supposed to be _in charge_ of the Avengers now?” Steve said it like it was a bad taste on his tongue. Sam raised his eyebrows at his tone.

Tony had warned Sam about how different everything was going to be once the Rogues returned, but everyone was too busy making sure that Tony truly hadn’t gone crazy saying they could stay at the compound. Tony offered him and everyone else another location to live, but himself, Wanda, and Vision all claimed the need to be in the center of all things Avengers. Still, he hadn’t expected to see Steve act like this, and now he was reassessing his decision.

“Well, besides his job, he’s been handling a lot of different things lately,” Sam answered vaguely. Steve didn’t look satisfied with this answer.

“I need to speak with him.”

“Maybe he’ll be by later.”

“Does he still live at the tower?” Sam didn’t like where this was going.

“Yes…”

“We’ll just pay him a visit later,” Steve said conclusively.

“Man, you’re under probation, which means you’re under a very temporary house arrest—”

“What?” Steve all but yelled. “They can’t do that.”

“They can and they will. The sooner you get this Accords thing under wraps, the sooner the house arrest will end. That’s why they were generous enough to come today,” Sam tried to explain calmly.

“You need to get Tony here,” Steve pleaded. “He can’t do this—”

“Tony can’t do anything. The only thing he’s done is offer them a place to house you guys.” Steve narrowed his eyes at Sam. “Let me show you guys to your room.”

* * *

“You don’t have to go,” Stephen tried to assure him. A few of the Guardians looked up as the Tony and Stephen passed them to go to the kitchen. “Wilson said he would handle it.”

“I’m not putting all of the responsibility on Wilson when I was the one who offered them the space to live in,” Tony explained, grabbing the first thing he saw to drink out of the fridge. “Besides, they’d think I’m a coward if I didn’t show up.”

“Who cares what they think?” Stephen whispered, moving closer. “Stay.”

“You’re so clingy,” Tony teased, making Stephen roll his eyes fondly. “I won’t be gone long. You can come if you’d like.”

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer…”

“What the hell are you two disgustingly sick lovebirds talking about?” Rocket called out.

“Tony’s ex-teammates are back,” Stephen explained.

“The one that knew about your parents’ murder?” Quill asked. Tony pursed his lips and nodded his head. “Rough. Can I come?”

“What?” Tony laughed. “No, that’s a terrible idea.”

“Why not?” Quill whined.

“It’s bad enough I have to deal with them. I don’t feel like explaining what’s going on and why I have aliens living in my home.” Tony took a sip of his drink while Quill considered his words.

“Right, but also—”

“He still wants to meet Captain America,” Gamora interrupted.

“What?” Quill stammered, awkwardly chuckling. “No, I don’t want to meet his lying ex-teammate, Gamora. Please…” Everyone gave him unimpressed looks. “Fine, I’ll stay here.”

“You were never going,” Tony reminded him. “Especially since the Accords council is here…”

“How exactly is that going to work with them?” Stephen asked, nodding towards the Guardians.

“I’m honestly hoping they never find out until the invasion comes,” Tony said with a cheeky smile on his face. Stephen glared softly at him. “I’m not sure aliens are under their jurisdiction.”

“Under the UN’s jurisdiction?” Stephen asked. Tony shrugged.

“It’s not like they’ll be on Earth permanently. I’d like to see them try and hunt them down in space,” Tony snorted.

“What exactly are you making them do?” Rocket asked.

“Me? I’m not making them do anything. In order to be here legally, they have to sign a set of documents, unless they want to stop Avenging.”

“Don’t you have to tell them about the invasion sooner or later?” Quill asked.

“Preferably later,” Tony muttered, ignoring the look Stephen was giving him. “Anyway, you guys are adults. Can you handle being alone while we’re gone?”

“Sir, yes, sir,” Rocket snarked.

“No more taking apart toasters!” Tony said, pointing a finger at the raccoon.

“No promises,” Rocket muttered. Tony rolled his eyes before gesturing for Stephen to get them there. They walked out into the lab, a discreet room that no one except them could enter. Stephen placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder before he could walk away.

“Are you okay?”

“Why do I feel like you’re going to be asking that a lot?” Tony asked rhetorically.

“You make me this way,” Stephen drawled, following Tony out. Tony fiddled with his thumbs to hide the way his hands trembled.

Somehow, Rhodey seemed to know right away about Tony and Stephen’s relationship. Or, to clarify, he seemed to think that Tony was lying about when they officially started dating, claiming Tony to be way too smart to be oblivious for that long. Pepper responded similarly, though not as boisterously as Rhodey.

Tony and Stephen ran into Wanda before they ran into anyone else. She similarly looked like she was in an anxious state.

“What’s wrong?” Tony asked.

“They’re here…” She answered, referring to the guests they were going to meet.

“Yep. Does that bother you?” Tony asked, not expecting her of all people to be reacting this way. She shrugged.

“I didn’t think it would, but now I don’t really want to see them.”

“You know you don’t have to,” Stephen reassured her. The two of them had formed a bond that Tony still couldn’t get his head around. Stephen had rolled his eyes and said that it was a mentoring relationship, to which Tony responded in a faux affronted tone that he and Peter were the only mentoring relationship allowed around here. Stephen bantered that he shouldn’t demote his son to a mentee position, and Tony responded by glaring and saying that Stephen was probably the annoying older brother she never wanted.

“They know I live here,” Wanda said with a shrug. “I can’t avoid them forever.”

“You can,” Tony said. “You can leave at any time. Just give me a call.” Wanda smiled slightly but shook her head.

“No, I’m an Avenger now. What would we look like fleeing from our own home?” Wanda walked beside Stephen as they walked down the hall.

“Smart if you’re doing it to get away from them,” Stephen muttered, frowning at Tony when he nudged him.

“Don’t be condescending when we get in there,” Tony scolded.

“Me, condescending?” Stephen scoffed. “What about you?”

“They expect that from me,” Tony explained. “You’re a fresh face. Don’t make a bad first impression.”

“Are you embarrassed of me?” Stephen teased. Tony locked eyes with Wanda before rolling his eyes dramatically, making her giggle.

“You’re going to be the death of me. I should have left you at home to babysit.”

“The Guardians will be fine on their own,” Stephen reasoned.

“Maybe, but I sent Barnes over there, so who knows what will go down.” Both Wanda and Stephen blinked at him. “What?”

“Why would you do that?” Stephen asked.

“Send Barnes?” They nodded. “Oh, well I wasn’t going to have him around Steve so soon. I told Barnes I could make room for him at the tower, but he insisted, like everyone else, that they had to stay here. I just told him to get away for a few hours before coming back and reassuring Rogers that I hadn’t killed him.”

Stephen and Wanda seemed to except his explanation. The three of them fell silent as they approached the board room where they would meet with the Accords council. Tony walked in first, ignoring the fast beating of his heart as five pairs of eyes fell on him. They were purposefully early, arriving before the council.

Steve in his time away had started to grow a beard. It wasn’t very long yet, but it still very prominent on his usual clean-shaven face. Natasha had gone blonde, probably one of the many hair colors she took on while trying to stay under the radar. Clint and Scott looked the same physically, but both already looked different behaviorally. Clint had started to glare at Tony from the second he was in site, while Scott didn’t even bother to look up. Steve stood up.

“Tony,” Steve greeted monotonously.

“Rogers,” Tony nodded back, not getting any closer for a handshake or a hug. Steve’s eyes flickered to the other visitors.

“Wanda,” Steve said more fondly before looking at Stephen. “Who’s your friend?”

“Dr. Stephen Strange,” Stephen introduced himself. Sam snorted at the formality, making the Rogues look at him in surprise as he failed to hide his smile behind a hand. Stephen rolled his eyes with no real annoyance.

“Is he a part of the people coming to talk to us?” Steve asked Tony accusingly.

“No, he’s just here to annoy Sam,” Tony answered. The three of them took a seat across from the Rogues next to Sam.

“Well, isn’t this nice,” Clint drawled sarcastically, leaning on his forearms. “Where’s Vision?” He asked teasingly, tilting his head towards Wanda. She instinctively shrunk in her seat.

“Somewhere around here,” Sam sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“What exactly is the point of all this?” Steve asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Of what exactly?” Tony asked.

“This,” Steve said, tapping the table. He motioned around the boardroom. “What are we doing here?”

“I thought Sam already explained—” Tony said, looking over at Sam who was shaking his head and looking at the ceiling.

“You’re still treating us like criminals,” Steve clarified, looking aggravated while having to explain.

“You were technically fugitives,” Tony pointed out. “I’m only here out of curtesy—”

“So we should be thanking you?” Clint scoffed. Natasha put a hand on his arm, which he shrugged off. “Everything you’ve ever done has been for yourself, but you still want to come around and act like the good guy after everything. Does it ever get exhausting being that self-absorbed?”

“Do you want us to leave?” Stephen responded before Tony could even process what had been said to him. Clint’s gaze moved from Tony to Stephen.

“I’m sorry, who was talking to you?” Clint snarked.

“I asked if you wanted us to leave?” Stephen repeated himself. No one responded. “Right, because Tony is here to make sure the council doesn’t take away any more of your limited freedom, at least until you’re off of probation, so why would you want him gone? He’s also the reason you’re in the same home you lived in before, since they were looking at much less costly buildings to house you, since you lost your privileges to stay with family.” Clint flinched at that one. Scott finally looked up, seeing as Stephen found the words that hit home. “All free of charge, of course. So it might make just a little sense that he be here to mediate the meeting that’s about to take place, but if you’d prefer him gone…”

“That’s enough,” Natasha answered. “None of us want that.” Stephen smiled tightly at them.

“I’d hope not.”

* * *

“Why are you looking at me like that? I was being good,” Stephen claimed as they walked out of the room. Tony could only stand to look at him for a few seconds before he broke down in chuckles that he failed to hide.

“I thought Sam was going just give up and leave a couple times,” Tony admitted silently.

“I almost did,” Sam whispered, scaring Tony as he came up behind him. “I don’t remember them being this ignorant. I’m starting to think they’re acting this way on purpose.”

“Might want to get used to it,” Tony warned. “Cap’s stubborn until he gets what he wants.”

“Tony.” All three of them stopped in their tracks when Steve called out to him. “Can I talk to you for a second?” Strange grabbed his hand behind his back. Tony only squeezed it before letting go.

“Sure,” Tony relented, gesturing for Steve to lead the way. He had a stern expression on his face and only uncrossed his arms when he started to walk with Tony following him. “What’s up, Cap?”

“Where is he?” Steve asked, standing tall across from Tony. Tony faked confusion.

“Where is who?”

“You know who,” Steve said lowly. “Where’s Bucky?”

“Oh, Barnes?” Tony glanced at his watch. “I don’t know exactly. He’s around.”

“This isn’t funny. You can’t treat him like your little puppet—”

“Rogers, we got rid of the triggers a _long_ time ago,” Tony sighed. “And Barnes isn’t letting anybody boss him around.”

“I’m supposed to believe that?” Steve chuckled humorlessly. Tony shrugged.

“Believe what you want. You’re the one who pulled me aside and started asking questions. I would assume you were going to take my word for it,” Tony answered. Steve walked closer, but Tony didn’t let himself flinch back.

“Yeah, but I know you. You know how to manipulate your words so that you can manipulate the people around you,” Steve whispered.

“How exactly am I manipulating the people around me, Rogers?” Tony asked, giving him a tight smile.

“The same way you’re manipulating me, Natasha, Clint, and Scott,” Steve answered. “By making us stay here, living off your dollar.”

“Technically, I can’t _make_ you stay here,” Tony said casually. “I only offered them a building…”

“You can’t trick me,” Steve said, shaking his head. “You want us under your thumb.”

“I can’t make you do anything I want,” Tony chuckled. “Even if you decided to break the law again and leave, all I can do is say ‘I tried to get them to stay, officer.’”

“This isn’t going to last,” Steve warned. “You’re the only one who wants us painted like criminals. The rest of the world doesn’t—”

“Maybe some people in America, but I can assure you that the rest of the world needs no convincing that you are criminals,” Tony interrupted. “That’s why you haven’t been pardoned anywhere else.”

“With your help,” Steve claimed. “Just like how you painted Bucky as some—”

“I didn’t do anything except help Barnes,” Tony asserted. “So don’t take it there.”

“Or what?” Steve whispered. “Or—”

“Rogers.” Steve and Tony turned to see Barnes standing there with an unimpressed look on his face. He was in a casual pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt.

“Buck,” Steve breathed, like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He stepped back from Tony only to move closer to Barnes. Before he could get too close, Barnes put his hand up, making Steve blink at him with a confused and hurt expression. “What’s going on?”

“That’s what I was going to ask you,” Barnes responded. His eyes flickered to Tony, who gave him a thumbs up to reassure that he was okay. “How did the session go?”

“Fine,” Tony answered. “Same old boring stuff.”

“I don’t understand,” Steve said. “What are you doing here?”

“I live here. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Barnes answered. Steve gaped at him in return.

“You live here? But I thought Tony—”

“Tony is my friend now,” Barnes said, walking a little bit closer. “He helped me get free, so I’m going to need you to stop threatening him as soon as you get him alone.” Barnes’ tone was light, but the threat was all in his eyes. Steve was aghast.

“You don’t have to listen to what he says,” Steve pleaded. “I’m here now.”

“I don’t need you,” Barnes responded with a shrug. Steve didn’t know how to respond to that. Barnes figured he got the message across, so he looked at Tony again. “Let’s go. Your boyfriend is looking for you.”

“Boyfriend?” Steve repeated, looking back at Tony. Tony almost rolled his eyes and told him not to call Stephen that, but then he remembered that it was true. Tony walked after Barnes.

“You’re welcome,” Barnes muttered. Tony snorted.

“For what? I was handling it! You guys have no faith in me. I’ve gotten this far in life,” Tony rambled.

“Yeah, with Pepper’s help,” Barnes snarked.

“Fair enough.”

“How did it _really_ go?” Barnes asked, referring to the session. Tony groaned and threw his head back.

“They basically thought they had a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Tony groaned. “Except Natasha, maybe. She probably knew everything that was going on. Hopefully she’ll try to convince Rogers that this is a good deal. Clint basically thinks I’m a sellout. Lang didn’t say a word.”

“Nothing?” Barnes frowned. Tony shook his head.

“I don’t think he ever had a problem with the Accords. I think he got a call from Captain America and acted too brashly. Now he’s regretting it. He has a daughter.”

“Ouch,” Barnes muttered. “How’s Barton reacting to his situation?”

“He didn’t say anything in the meeting, but I’m sure he’s blaming me for the reason he can’t be around them like he’s blaming me for everything else. He’s also considering Wanda to be a traitor, so now she’s going to be mopey.”

“They’re not good at accepting consequences,” Barnes muttered as they came into view of everyone else.

“No, they are not,” Tony agreed.

“How was it?” Stephen asked when Tony was close enough.

“Did you sic our guard dog on Rogers?” Tony responded, nodding towards Barnes.

“Actually, he did that all by himself. He’s well trained,” Strange bantered.

“Low blow, Strange,” Barnes said with no heat, taking a seat next to Sam. “Where did the others go?”

“Probably to brood in their rooms,” Sam answered. “And I think Vision is consoling Wanda.”

“It didn’t go as bad as it could have,” Tony pointed out. “I think this is a win.”

“For now,” Barnes muttered. “We still have to worry about a certain group of aliens.”

“Which ones? The ones living in Norway or the ones living in the tower?” Stephen muttered.

“We’ll handle it one step at a time guys,” Tony reassured them. “Thor’s group is here to stay, so we hardly need to worry about them. The Guardians are only here until we figure out our game plan.”

“That could be a while if we’re worrying about the recent arrivals,” Wilson pointed out.

“I don’t think they’ll mind,” Tony responded. None of them were really ready to address the stress that came with trying to find a way to stop a titan from killing half the universe.

* * *

Tony returned to the tower with Stephen. Unsurprisingly, the Guardians were gathered in the living room on his floor. This time, however, they had multiple boxes of pizza. Quill looked at him sheepishly.

“So, do you take units?” Quill asked with his mouth full. Tony waved him off before grabbing his own slice to munch on.

“Units? Is that the space currency?” Tony thought aloud.

“Yup,” Quill confirmed. “Almost universal.”

“That means you’re poor in space,” Stephen noted, taking his own slice of pizza. Tony snorted and nodded.

“Maybe so, but I don’t plan to go out there willingly.”

“How was meeting your teammates?” Gamora asked. Tony heaved a sigh while sitting down. “That bad?”

“Not too shabby, it’s just that they blame me for everything, like usual,” Tony mumbled. “I’m also scared for Barnes’ safety, but he was the one who kicked me out. So I guess I can’t really do anything about it today.”

“Which ones were the ones coming back again?” Rocket asked.

“Why? You wouldn’t know them,” Tony answered.

“Actually, Boss, they requested to see some footage of the team in action for reference,” FRIDAY spoke up. Tony hummed thoughtfully. “I showed them clips from the Battle of New York as well as some solo footage.”

“Yeah, you never said that you were the one who blew up the Chitauri fleet,” Quill exclaimed, pointing at Tony accusingly.

“I try not to think about it,” Tony snorted softly.

“Impressive, but we saved the galaxy, so…” Rocket added.

“Right. Well, Clint, the guy with the arrows, is there. Natasha, the woman with the red hair, is there. I don’t know if FRIDAY showed you footage of the ant guy, but he’s there. And, of course, Captain America is there.”

“Why does no one except the redheaded chick use guns?” Rocket criticized.

“My repulsors are better than guns,” Tony scoffed.

“Yeah, sure, but the America guy just throws his shield at everything. And I don’t know if the bow and arrow is a new weapon on your guys’ planet, but it’s heavily outdated everywhere else.”

“No, it’s outdated here too,” Stephen said with a smirk.

“Also, the big green guy is a lot more aggressive than he seemed when we last saw him,” Rocket pointed out, shaking as he got chills.

“Yeah, he’s gotten better at that.”

“You know who’s really impressive,” Quill spoke up, “is that spider guy.” If Tony could glare at FRIDAY, he would. “When do we get to meet him?”

“Hopefully never,” Tony answered, standing up. “I’m hitting the hay.”

“It’s three o’clock,” Stephen pointed out with a frown.

“Is it?” Tony squinted at his watch. “Well, then I’m taking a nap. Dealing with people is exhausting. Wanna join me, seeing as you’re already wearing your pajamas?” Tony jabbed at Stephen’s robes. The sorcerer rolled his eyes before following Tony.


End file.
